The Adventures of the Epix League
by scarlettep13
Summary: The Winx are grown and have settled down. Their feats have inspired other fairies to form clubs of their own. Epix League is one such group, and this is their story. Note: Some characters may have cameos.
1. Prologue: The Secret

**Prologue: The Secret**

* * *

><p>She was not mad. Then again, maybe she was. No, no, she more confused than she was mad. Never in all her thirty years of experience never had she experienced<em> this. <em>The prim, magenta haired librarian walked down the small street to a little yellow house. The lawn was well trimmed. Plants covered the porch. She followed the stone path to the small porch and up the concrete stairs to the door.

_Well, I hope this goes well._

Her knuckles knocked quickly against the wood. It echoed through the interior of the house.

The door opened immediately.

_At least they're prompt._

A woman wearing an apron stood before her. Her dark curly hair was pulled back into a neat bun. Her forehead glistened with sweat and her cheeks were a rosy color, obvious all due to cleaning. Her brown eyes grew wide with surprise.

"Yes?" The woman asked, wiping sudsy hands on her pale blue apron.

"I am here to discuss a situation regarding your daughter. Is your husband home?"

"Oh, um, no, he's at work, but I will be happy to talk to you."

"Good. May I come in?"

"Oh, please come in." The woman stepped aside and in Ms. Magenta went.

The living room was neat except for a few scraps of paper on the wooden floor. Bookcases lined the far wall with the television set in the middle. The opening to the wallon the left led to hallway.

"Sit down, please." The woman told her.

Ms. Magenta tried not to grimace as she sat on the peeling leather couch. She kept her back straight and neatly folded her hands over her lap. Seraphine's mother, Lizbeth, smiled as she slipped into the kitchen close by.

_I hope _that _didn't happen again. _The mother thought.

She poured water into two glasses and reentered the living room. She handed one to the librarian who looked confused at first. She had not asked for a drink, but she assumed the woman was just being hospitable.

She took the cup. "Thank you."

"You're welcome." Lizbeth sat down. "Now, what did you want to talk about?" she took a sip of her water then set it down on the coffee table.

"Your daughter…how do I say this? Seraphine has…_Altered_ the books that I have lent her."

_Oh no. Not again. _Lizbeth thought.

"Oh. I am so sorry. I'll pay for all the damages."

"That is _not _what I meant. She has _changed _the stories all together. I have read all of those books. When she retells the stories to me, they are _not _the stories I remember."

Lizbeth bit her lip. _There goes my secret. _"It's been so long since you've read them, though, you can't remember everything." Her mouth curved into nervous smile.

Ms. Magenta put her sharp nose up into the air. "On the contrary, I have an excellent memory."

_Oh my…_

"Further, I have seen the alteration with my own eyes. When she handed me the book, and remained present, the book had her story in it. The whole thing was different. The letters, the words, the pages, the plot, all of it was different. However, when she walked away, the book returned to its original state."

Lizbeth closed her eyes and took in a deep breath. _I didn't want to do this…but…_

She opened her eyes and stared at Ms. Magenta. The librarian glared back.

Lizbeth cupped one hand and held it out to her. She smiled as turquoise colored fairy dust floated toward the woman. Then she spoke with a voice as sweet as honey. "My daughter cannot lie, and she would never harm a book. Your eyes are weary. Perhaps you should get some glasses."

For a moment, it did not seem to work. Ms. Magenta's steel-colored eyes were fixed. Her pupils were narrow. Then…the dust sprinkled onto her face. The lines softened. Her pupils relaxed. She suddenly looked thoughtful.

"I do believe you're right." Ms. Magenta said. "I do need glasses." She set her glass on the table, stood and headed to the door. Lizbeth went and opened it.

"Oh, and please tell Seraphine that I have a new book for her."

"I will. Thank you for coming."

And off Ms. Magenta went.

Lizbeth shut the door and let out a sigh. Her eyes drifted to a picture on the mantelpiece. A little girl with wavy hair and a cute smile gazed back at her. Her heart yearned in her chest.

_Oh, Seraphine…if only you knew that…you're a fairy._


	2. Chapter 1: An Old Friend

**Chapter One: An Old Friend**

* * *

><p>It was an ordinary day. As ordinary as any ordinary day could be, in fact. The sun was out, the birds were singing, and the sky was blue. But she didn't see any of it. Nope. She walked down the busy sidewalk with her nose stuck in a book.<p>

Seraphine always had her nose in a book._ Always._ She never did anything else. This always caused problems. Sometimes she walked too slowly and people would push her out of the way. Sometimes, she would run into someone or something. What she was really famous for was tripping. It never seemed to fail that she would fall on her face. Nevertheless, she never took the time to worry about that, and she kept on reading.

Step by step, she strolled along the sidewalk. She was so engrossed within the pages of the novel; she did not notice the young man sweeping out in front of a pet shop. She did not notice him until she bumped right into him. That would have been just fine, that is, had he not turned around and whacked her in the head with the bloom handle.

"Ow!" Seraphine closed her book and rubbed her forehead.

"Oh! I'm so sorry. I didn't see you!" A familiar voice entered her ears.

Squinting, she looked up. The young man was tall; he towered about a foot above her. His hair was black and it flowed down in bangs, covering half of his face. His skin was fair; his eyes were a light brown. Something about him seemed familiar. Seraphine studied his face as her mind scrambled through faces of people she knew. She was never forgot a face; the names were the hard part. Just as she was about to give up the search, it hit her.

"Bran?"

The young man rose his eyebrows. "Phine?"

"Oh, you're so tall!"

"Yup, puberty caught up to me."

"Wow, I haven't seen you in ages. I barely recognized you."

"It's only been a year." He brushed his black bangs away from him face.

"Where'd you go? You just disappeared."

"I moved. Then moved back."

"Moved?"

"Yeah, remember? To Gardenia."

"And now you're back here?"

"Yup. I missed the old' Lynwood."

Seraphine scoffed. "Yeah right. Not much to miss."

"There's plenty to miss. Friends, family, the pet shop." He pointed a thumb behind him. She looked up at the tiny building that resonated with bird calls, dog barks, and cat meows. The sign displayed the faded, but familiar name: "Alex's Pets".

"Oh, your parents reopened it?"

"Yup," he smiled. "It's great to be home."

She smiled back. "I'll bet."

"Where you headed? I see you've got your backpack on. That usually means you're on a mission."

Seraphine laughed. It felt great to talk to someone again. She forgot how much she enjoyed it. Since her eyes were glued to the pages of books, she never took the time to talk to anyone.

"Nooo. I'm going to the library."

"Still reading, huh?"

"Yup. What about you?"

"Oh, the usual; family business. It feels great to get back into the routine, though."

She nodded. "What about school?"

"Don't worry; I plan on graduating high school." He winked.

She gave him a playful glare. "You better. Or mama's gonna beat you."

He laughed. "Nah, she just says she will."

"Hahaha, that's true. Well, Imma go." She started to walk away.

"Okay. Hey," he called "How about I come by the library when I get off work? I can walk you home."

"Sure."

"Great. See you then."

"Bye." She waved.

"And keep your nose out in the open until you get to the library!" he said.

"I will!"

* * *

><p>Seraphine stepped quietly into the library. She loved the soft sounds of turning pages and computer keys. She took in a deep breath; how she loved the familiar smell of books. This was her safe haven, next to home of course. It was filled with peace and security.<p>

She approached the counter and slid her book into the return slot. She was about to leave when the librarian came out and greeted her.

"Hello, Seraphine"

"Hi, Ms. Magenta. Oh, you got glasses."

"Yes, your mother was right, you know."

"My mother?"

"Yes, I went to tell her that I have a new book for you. She told me that I should get glasses."

"Oh. Well, they look very nice." Seraphine smiled.

"Thank you. Now, for that new book." Ms. Magenta stepped out from behind the counter. "Follow me."

Seraphine followed the woman through the maze of bookshelves. She admired Ms. Magenta. The librarian knew exactly where to go. She did not read the signs; she did not carry a sticky note with book numbers on it. She did not use any of that. She could remember where every book was and that was a gift.

_I wish my memory was that good. _Seraphine thought with a smile. Her fingers brushed the spines of books as she walked past them. Like magic, she could feel the stories calling to her. It was a strange feeling, but she had had it for as long as she could remember. When she was a child, she would read the children's books, but she was always draw to the sad stories, the stories that never ended in happily ever after. They cried out to her the most it seemed. They were sad books, books who wanted a different story. As she read them, her imagination mended and stitched up the broken characters and plot. Every story she read from those books all ended happily, and the books no longer cried. That was why Ms. Magenta always found depressing books for her. Seraphine wanted to read them, to fix them. She was never sure why she could feel the stories call, or why she fixed them, she just knew that that was the way it was.

They stopped in an aisle that was labeled "Teen Novels".

"Here we are." The magenta haired librarian pulled a book on the shelf. Its cover was dark red; its pages had torn edges. The letters on the front were gold, and they swirled to form the title "The Wizard's Test."

Seraphine felt the familiar tug on her heart. The book begged for happiness. With her eyes stuck to the cover, she reached out to it. Gently, she took it from Ms. Magenta's hands and cradled it like a baby.

"Thank you. I'll take good care of it, I promise."

"Good. I'll be at the front when you're ready."

The dark haired girl watched her go before retreating to her usual nook among the bookcases. She nestled into her chair and opened the broken book.

_No need to cry, I'm here. I'll save you._

* * *

><p>Bran wiped the sweat off his forehead and put the broom back in the storage closet. The cockatoo in a cage near him squawked. He smiled.<p>

"Hi to you too, Mr. Ruffles." He whispered.

He knew he was not allowed to name the animals, but he did anyway. It made it easier to call them instead of just giving them orders. Besides, what else was he supposed to call them if he did not name them?

Mr. Ruffles ruffled his feathers and cooed. Bran winked. "Shh, be good now. I've got a date."

The bird cocked its head back as if to say: "You? A date?"

Bran chuckled. "With a friend, silly."

A friend. Bran missed having friends. When he moved to Gardenia last summer, his height skyrocketed. At the age of 15, he went from 5'3'' to 6'0''. He was taller than a great many people at the new high school were, and he scared them away. On top of that, his emo haircut freaked them out even more. He was alone for his entire sophomore year. Now that he was back home, he hoped to make for the lost time and get a few friends back.

The bird flapped its wings and squawked quietly.

"Hahaha, I can't believe you took me seriously." Bran laughed.

"Talking to the animals again?" His mother's voice came from behind him. He turned to find her smiling at him. She had tanned skin and dark hair that was kept in a bun. Her cheeks were red from the heat, but her eyes were filled with happiness.

Bran blushed. "Yeah,"

"So, what's this about a date?" She crossed her arms in front of her chest.

"Oh, you remember Seraphine, don't you, mom?"

"Of course I remember her, her mother is my friend."

"I ran into her earlier and I promised her I'd walk her home after I finished work."

His mother grimaced and raised an eyebrow. Her brown eyes scanned his clothes. Bran gulped.

_What is she doing? _He thought.

Suddenly, her pink lips pulled into a smile. "You're not going like that, are you?"

Bran looked down. His clothes were dirty and soaked with sweat. "Uh…"

"Go clean up, and then you can go."

"Thanks, mom!" He gave her a quick peck on the cheek and ran upstairs to their apartment.

* * *

><p>Seraphine's nose was deep in the book when someone tapped her shoulder. She jumped, and her mind came tearing out of the story in such a whirlwind that she became dizzy. She held her forehead with one hand and closed the book with the other.<p>

"Hey," Bran's voice entered her ears.

She shook her head, rattling her imagination back into place before putting her hand down. Her eyes met his.

"Hi,"

"Whatcha reading?" Bran asked, tilting his head to eye the cover. "The Wizard's Test?"

"Mhmm. It's really sad, but I'm going to give the book a break." Seraphine said. On the inside, she cringed.

_Why did I say that?_

Bran chuckled. "A break? I guess it's lonely on a bookshelf, huh?"

She relaxed, relieved that he did not persecute her for being weird. It was then that she remembered why she and Bran became friends in the first place.

They were only kids when they met, but they clicked right away. Their mothers called it puppy love, but Seraphine knew he was her very best friend at that instant. They both had crazy imaginations. They played all day long together, and every day they pretended to be someone different. But to Seraphine, the best part wasn't the pretending, it was the company. Bran took away the loneliness that books could not fill. Sure, she fixed the books, but when they were fixed, she would come out to a lonely world. Bran was the only one, next to her parents, who stuck around.

"Yeah, anyone would feel lonely on a bookshelf."

Sadness flashed across his face, he looked away for a moment.

_I've been on that shelf before._ He thought.

"Bran?" Seraphine saw the change in emotions. She had never seen him do that before. It was so unlike him to become so dark and depressed.

_Could he have…change during that short time?_

He remembered where he was and quickly went back to his cheerful self. "Ready to go home?"

"Nope." She smiled.

"How about we go to the café down street? It's still there, right?"

"The Prism Café? Of course it's there." She imitated his voice, "'It's only been a year.'"

They laughed, releasing the loneliness in their hearts. Seraphine stood and headed to the checkout counter.

"Like it?" Ms. Magenta asked as she scanned the book.

"Oh yes, very much. It has such wonderful characters; it really does need a break."

"Yes, it does. I was the last person to read it. No one likes sad stories anymore."

"Everyone needs a sad story to help their hearts grow soft."

Ms. Magenta smiled. "True. Here you are, take good care of it."

"Thank you, I will."

Seraphine left with Bran by her side.

"It's been so long since I've been to the café." He said, walking on the side closest to the street.

"A _whole year._ That's not long."

_It was for me._ He thought, watching cars go by. It was so easy for him to get down in the dumps now. Any little thing or word triggered sadness.

"Bran?"

"Mmm?" he pulled himself together.

"You okay?"

"Yeah, why?" he turned to her.

She studied his face. She feared for her friend. She feared that he had changed. Her eyes scanned his brown ones. Nothing seemed amiss. She looked ahead.

"Nevermind."

There was silence between them as they walked the last few feet to the café. Bran was happy to find their regular seat from a year ago vacant. Seraphine was happy he remembered where their seat was.

"I can't believe you remember." She said, beaming.

He smirked. "'Only been a year.'"

She giggled as she opened her book. He put a hand on the cover, shutting it. Her smile vanished. Her dark eyes stared up at him. He was smiling but something about his eyes was off. They were dark, and serious.

"Talk to me."

She pulled off the teal backpack and shoved the book inside.

"What about?" she asked.

"Anything, you, life, school."

She turned to face him. "Um…well…I got good grades during my sophomore year."

"That's good."

"My dad got a new job and is working for the city."

"Oh yeah?"

"Yeah, I don't see him that much anymore, but it is nice to have a little more money so I can buy books."

"What does he do now?"

"He works for the electric company."

"Oh, cool."

"My mom is still at home. She insists on staying there to keep it clean."

"Hahaha, some people never change." He laughed.

"Nope." She laughed with him.

"And you?"

"Reading."

"Always reading."

"Yup. Are we gonna order?"

"Uh huh," he stood. "What do you want?"

"My usual. Do you remember it?" she eyed him playfully.

"Green Tea Frap, duh." He said in a girly voice.

She shook with laughter as he walked away.

* * *

><p>The hours flew by as they sat in the café. They talked and laughed as if they had never been apart. They didn't realize the time until Seraphine's phone beeped.<p>

"Who is it?"

She pulled her red cellphone out of her pants' pocket.

"My mom…oh, she wants me home."

Bran glanced out the window. "It's almost dark."

"Really?"

"Yeah, see? The sun's starting to go down."

He stood as she pulled on her backpack.

"Wow, already?"

"Time flies when you're having fun." He winked. She smiled.

"Too true."

They left the Prism café and strolled down the street with the setting sun to their backs. The rays of light stretched their shadows on the pavement. The shades of orange faded slowly to a deep red, then a twilight purple.

"I love this time of day." Seraphine said.

"Me too…"

"I thought you loved the dark?"

"I can't like both?"

She shrugged. "I guess." She smiled up at him.

"What?"

"I feel safe around you now that you're so tall."

"Oh? So when I was short, you didn't feel safe around me?"

She laughed. "Nooo. And you were _not _short. You were average."

"_You're _average."

"No. _I'm_ short."

"Average."

"Wait, you were the same height as me."

"No, you're 5'2''."

"I _was_. I grew an inch." She said proudly.

"Wow, that's quite a growth spur."

"Really?"

"I was being sarcastic."

"Oh."

"You still can't read it can you?"

"Read what?"

"My sarcasm."

"Oh. No, I'm just out of practice."

"Uh huh."

"No, honestly, I am." She said, making a pouty face.

He chuckled. "Alright, alright."

They continued walking, not sensing a presence within an alley near her house. By the time they reached it, the sky was now deep blue violet and the sun's last few rays streamed through stray clouds. He did not cross the grass, but remained on the pavement. He watched her step onto the porch.

Seraphine looked back. She could not see his face, but she knew that he was happy. So was she; she finally had a friend again.

Bran smiled as he turned and walked away.

_It sure is great to be home._


	3. Chapter 2: The Dragon

**Chapter 2: The Dragon**

* * *

><p>Within the alley, a blue portal materialized out of thin air. Three teenagers slipped through it and as suddenly as it appeared, the portal vanished.<p>

"Did you get it working?" One of them asked another who was fiddling with a flat, handheld machine.

"I…I think so." That one answered. He blew strands of brown hair out of his face. His blue eyes studied the machine in his hands.

"Hurry up, will ya?" The third demanded. His cerulean eyes studied his surroundings. His orange-red hair swayed softly in the wind.

"He's doing his best, Matt." The first said. His dark skin helped blend into the darkness. Only the white streaks of his skintight uniform gave him away.

"It's supposed to light up." The second answered.

"Is it on?" Matt asked.

"Yeah, it's on."

"Gimme that thing." Matthew yanked it out of his hands. "Geez, Wayne, I thought you were good at this stuff."

"I am, I just…I think we should've waited for the girls."

"We can handle this mission. We just after a hungry dragon." Matthew said, giving the machine a whack. Its screen flashed green.

"There, see? All it needed was a whack." Matthew gave it back to Wayne.

"Right, now, let's do this." The first said.

"Pierce, shouldn't we wait for the girls?" Wayne asked their dark-skinned friend.

Pierce shook his head. The dark brown curls on his head swayed. "We don't have time."

"See? Now hurry up before that dragon eats somebody." Matthew barked

Wayne rolled his eyes and put on the magic radar. "Baby dragons don't eat people." He muttered as the screen bleeped.

"There it is!" Wayne said. Pierce and Matt looked at the screen. A green dot was moving down the street to their right.

"Great, let's go!" Matthew announced.

The three teens tore of the alley and down the street with their capes bellowing behind them.

"Mom! I'm home." Seraphine shut the door behind her.

"In the kitchen." Her mother said.

Seraphine hung her key on the hook near the door and entered the kitchen. Her mom was there, slicing bread. Delicious smells of roasting meat and baking potatoes filled the room. Seraphine took in a deep breath. _That smells so good._

"Hi, mom." Seraphine kissed her cheek.

"Hi, sweetie. Where were you? I thought you'd be home by 4."

Seraphine walked to the fridge and opened it. "I meant to, but I ran into an old friend." She pulled out a water bottle. "Remember Bran?"

"Yes and his mother Alexandra. We're friends."

Seraphine opened the water and took a sip.

"Yeah, I ran into him. They moved back."

"Oh, that's right. She called me earlier. She said you two were hanging out. I can't believe I forgot." Lizbeth shook her head, smiling.

Seraphine took another gulp from the bottle.

"Yeah, well, that's who I was with. We went to the Prism Café."

"That's wonderful, dear. How is he?"

"He's doing great. He plans on finishing high school and becoming an electrician like dad."

"Really?"

"Mhmm. I'll tell you the rest at dinner."

"Ok, hon."

Seraphine slipped out of the kitchen. Lizbeth buttered the slices of bread and placed them on a cookie sheet. The timer rang its tune.

"Oh!" Lizbeth put on her mitts and opened the oven. She pulled out the tray of potatoes and placed it on the stove. She slid the platter of bread into the oven and shut it.

Just when she thought she was done, the dryer in the next room over blared like a foghorn.

"Oh, my goodness!" She ran to the laundry room.

As she was gone, the angular head of a blue dragon poked its head through the kitchen window. It was not a very large dragon. It was only about four feet tall, with a set of small, leathery wings on its back. The horns on its head were not full-grown; they were just little stubs. Nevertheless, it had a body bulging with muscle. The aroma of meat enticed its empty stomach and it managed to slip through the window like a snake. The baby dragon lumbered over to the pot of meat that rested on the stove. Its long red tongue slipped out with anticipation. Its large, purple eyes stared at the glistening chunks of meat. Curving its neck, it started to feast upon them.

Lizbeth came out of the laundry room carrying a basket of clothes. She dropped the basket at the sight of the dragon, shocked, but the dragon went on eating.

_How…? What…?_ Her thoughts scattered. Her mind froze. It took her about a half a second to recollect them. When she finally had a grasp on her wits again, she broke the situation down. She had to get that beast out of her house, and fast.

She ran to the dragon and tugged at its wing.

"Get out of here!" she hissed to the beast.

It grumbled in protest and yanked its wing away from her.

"Ooh," She growled. "Go home! Dragon's don't belong here!" She leaned against the small, but thick lizard and attempted to push it away from the stove.

"Mom?" Seraphine's voice came from the other side of the kitchen door.

Lizbeth gasped. Her heart skipped a beat. _Sera!_

"Are you okay? I heard something fall."

"I'm fine, honey." Lizbeth said quickly.

"Are you sure? I heard you talking, who's there?"

The kitchen door creaked open slightly. Lizbeth's heart rushes to her throat.

_My secret!_

She stumbled to her feet and ran to the door. She shut it. "No one, love!" She leaned against the door, using her weight to keep it shut.

* * *

><p>"Still got a lock on him?" Matt called. He led the group down the street.<p>

"Yeah! He's on the next block!" Wayne yelled. He was doing his best to keep up, but his legs felt like jello. His feet were anvils, dragging him down and scrapping against the pavement. His breathes came in heaves through his mouth.

"Hurry!" Pierce said.

"I'm…trying." Wayne huffed. He lifted the pad to look at the screen. He stumbled. "Whoa!" He landed on one knee, panting like a dog. "Oh man…am I outta…shape…" He gazed at the screen. The dot had stopped. "Wait!" He yelled at his friends.

Matthew stopped at the corner. "What is it?"

"He stopped." Wayne said, rising to his feet.

Pierce jogged up to Matthew and the two waited for Wayne to arrive. The poor kid came, huffing and puffing like the big bad wolf. His cheeks flushed red and his forehead glistened with sweat.

"Where is he?" Matthew demanded.

"He's…he's"

"Spit it out!"

"Let him breathe, Matt."

They waited for the brown haired teen to catch his breathe. Finally, Wayne spoke up.

"He's stopped two buildings down."

"Let's go!" Matt and Pierce took off.

Wayne groaned. "Ugh…can we _not _run?"

"Hurry, up! You're the one with the portal device to send him back!" Matthew yelled.

"Arg!" Wayne stumbled into a run.

They arrived at a neat little shop.

"Well that's convenient." Pierce said, gazing up at the sign. It read: "Alex's Pets"

"More like ironic. The stupid thing sold itself as a pet." Matthew scoffed.

"Doesn't look like anyone's home." Pierce looked through the window. The inside was dark. He could see birds, cats, dogs, and mice all snuggled up in their cages.

"No…" Wayne huffed. He stumbled over to them, gripping the pad in his hand. He hunched over on his knees, gasping for breath. He pointed upward. "He's…up…stairs."

"Upstairs?" Pierce looked bewildered.

Matthew looked up. Lights flashed on the second story. "There's two more stories. Go look for stairs!"

Pierce took off down the pavement. Sure enough, there was a side entrance to the next floor. "Found it!"

Matthew and Wayne ran to him. The three teens zoomed up the stairs.

* * *

><p>"Hey, mom." Bran closed the front door to their apartment. He promptly locked the latch.<p>

"Hi, son. How did it go with Seraphine?" She asked, looking up at him from the couch. She looked tired, but her eyes were happy as always.

"It went great." He said, taking off his shoes.

"That's good, dear."

Suddenly, there was a bang at the door. His mother jumped. "What on earth?!"

Bran spun around and glared at the door. "I'll get it mom." He yanked his shoes back on. Cautiously, he walked to the door. Grabbing the bat next to it, he swung the door open.

What he saw confused him. Three boys around his age stood before him wearing the weirdest clothes he had ever seen. They wore white and dark blue skintight suits, the kind that superheroes wear, complete with a long blue cape. Clasped at on their chests were jewels that held the cape in place. Each boy's jewel matched the color of his weapon. The orange haired teenager had a blue, translucent sword in his hand. The dark haired one carried a luminous purple shield. The last one had a green streaked gun in one hand and a large pad in the other.

The one with sword looked to the one with gun. "Wayne, where is it?! Where's the dragon?!"

_Dragon?_ Images of giant, winged, fire breathing lizards flashed across Bran's mind.

Bran opened his mouth to say something, but the kid with the gun said:

"He's right here in front of us."

All three boys looked at Bran. Bran stared back at them, bewildered.

"Does that look like a dragon to you?" The kid with sword yelled at Wayne.

"N-no…but the sensor says there's a magical creature right in front of us."

The dark-skinned teen stepped forward. "Excuse us, but have you seen a dragon around here?"

Bran's brain struggled to comprehend the question.

_Dragon. Dragons don't exist._ He reasoned.

A nervous laugh escaped from his lips. "What is this, a joke?"

All three teens stared at him with surprise. They glanced at one another. Murmurs passed between them. It took them about a minute to recollect themselves before the one with the sword said:

"No, this _isn't _a joke. There is a _real_ dragon out there and it is _dangerous_!"

"More like hungry." The dark one corrected.

"Oh! I had it on the wizard filter!" Wayne announced.

His counterparts slowly turned to glare at him. He cringed.

"I um…found the dragon. He's near that alley we came out of." Wayne laughed anxiously.

"Let's go! Move!" The sword wielding teen pushed Wayne out of the way and raced down the stairs.

"Sorry to bother you!" The dark one took off after his leader.

Wayne turned to Bran, who stood in the doorway, puzzled.

"Um…maybe you should come with us? You are a wizard after all."

Bran glanced behind him to look at his mother. She didn't look scared or confused. She was completely fine. In fact, she was smiling. She nodded, giving him approval to go. Bran was more confused than ever, but he did what his mother said and left with the three teenagers who magically appeared at his doorstep.

_Wizards? Dragons? What the heck is going on?_

* * *

><p><em>Crash!<em>

"Mom?!" Seraphine pressed against the kitchen door. It refused to budge.

"I'm okay, honey! Hey! Get away from there!" her mother's voice sounded panicky.

_Clatter! Bang!_

"Mom, what's going on?!"

"Go on! Get! Ah!"

_Crash!_

"Mom?!"

The door suddenly gave way. Seraphine landed on her stomach on the kitchen floor. She gasped when she saw her mother on the floor with a great blue, winged lizard standing over her. The lizard growled.

"Mom!"

The lizard snapped its attention toward her. Its violet eyes were filled with rage.

"Run, Sera!"

Seraphine gasped and scrambled to her feet as the dragon charged toward her. She flung herself out of the kitchen. She slid across the wooden floor of the living room. _Crash! _Glancing over her shoulder, she caught the sight of the dragon's head poking out of the wall. It roared with fury as it struggled to pull free. Hurriedly, she stumbled to her feet and ran to the door. She tore it open, ready to run out of her house. She stopped. Two young men, donned with capes like knights in shining armor stood at her doorstep. She stared with amazement.

"Look out!" The one with orange hair yelled, pushing her away. She landed on the couch, and watched as flames spurted from the dragon's mouth. The young man held up a clear, blue shield and the fire flushed against the blockage.

"Pierce!"

"I'm on it!" The other young man shot an arm forward. With a flash of purple light, ropes shot out of his gauntlet. They flew over the first teen's head and grabbed ahold of the dragon's neck.

The dragon bellowed. Pierce tugged at the ropes, struggling to control the beast. He tucked in his arm; it shook with effort.

"Wayne!" he yelled through clenched teeth.

"I'm coming!" A new voice penetrated the air.

Seraphine turned to the open door to find another knight standing on the threshold. He bolted forward, holding a round disk in his hand. His arm wound back, ready to throw it when he tripped and collided into the orange haired teenager. The two boys fell to the ground. _Thud!_ The disk rolled on the floor. _Clang-clang!_

"Matt!" Pierce yelled, letting his guard down for a half a second.

The dragon wasted no time and jerked its head back, yanking Pierce to the floor and into the wall.

Seraphine gasped. Bran arrived at the doorstep. She only had second to see him kneel down next to Matthew and Wayne before…

Suddenly, her mother's voice filled her ears.

"Imagery crystal!"

The dragon cried out as turquoise crystals shattered and smashed against its scaly hide. Growling, it tore through the wall. _Crash! _The wall crumbled like dirt. Debris flew everywhere, littering the living room with chunks of drywall and wood. Dust fogged up the floor. The dragon whipped around. Its spaded tail cut through the air like a knife. It caught her mother by the waist and knocked her down.

"Mom!" Seraphine scrambled her way past Bran and the other young men. Climbing over the wreckage, she stumbled to the kitchen. She found her mother on the floor, but she looked different. A long, teal gown replaced her apron. Her hair was twisted and piled above her head. Delicate, shimmering pink and blue fairy wings protruded from her back. The dragon craned its head back and took in a deep breathe.

Seraphine gasped, and reacted. She jumped in front of her mother and, with arms out at her sides, yelled: "NO!"

Flames enveloped the room. Bran watched as the red tongues engulfed his friend.

"Phine!"

He ran to the kitchen. Much to his amazement, when the fire faded, Seraphine remained…but she had changed. A lustrous, turquoise sphere surrounded her. Everything within the sphere was completely untouched, that included Seraphine and her mother.

The dragon roared with exasperation. Thinking fast, Bran's eyes spotted a piece of meat on the floor. He grabbed it, and held it out to the blue lizard. It growled and snapped at him; its teeth slammed shut with a clash. Startled, he fall back. He collided with the floor. The beast snarled and stepped toward him.

"Bran!" Seraphine cried. She wanted to help him, but she knew she needed to protect her mother; she kept still, holding the shield up with her arms.

"Whoa, whoa!" Bran said, putting up a hand. He scrambled back a bit. His spine met with the doorframe, pinning him in front of the lizard. "Easy, now, easy." From the corner of his eye, he saw the meat again. He picked up it off the wooden floor and offered it to the dragon. He could hear his pulse echoing in his ears.

"What are you doing?!" Matt's voice came from behind him. The teen struggled to his feet. Wayne rose to his knees, gripping the teleportation disk. His hair was tussled and covered with dust, but otherwise, he was unharmed.

The dragon turned to look at them. It bared its teeth. The great fangs glinted with saliva.

"Hey, hey, it's okay, it's okay." Bran talked to it, trying to keep calm. Its face whipped back to him. It looked straight into his eyes. "Nice dragon, nice. Hungry? Huh? Want some?" His heart thumped in his ears with fear. Puffing, he dangled the meat in front of its nostrils. Immediately, it caught the scent. The beast's eyes zeroed in on it. It tilted its head to one side, showing interest. Its red tongue licked its scaly lips as it took a step forward.

"Now, Wayne!" Matt yelled.

Wayne threw out his arm; the disk flew in the air, spinning like a football toward its target. It soared through the doorway and landed on the dragon's neck. It attached with a click, and the round light at its center glowed blue. The dragon vanished in a flash of cerulean.

Bran let out a sigh of relief and melted against the doorframe. Seraphine, gasping, dropped the shield. She collapsed to her hands and knees, panting. Sweat trickled down her forehead. She looked over to her mom. Lizbeth smiled, and placed a gentle hand on her daughter's arm.

"Thank you." She said, stroking the hair away from Seraphine's face.

Seraphine did not understand what had happened, but she nodded anyway.

Matthew dusted himself off as Wayne kicked debris away from his feet.

Just then, a golden light flooded the living room.

"What the?!" Matthew exclaimed, shielding his eyes with his hands.

"Whoa!" Wayne cried out.

Bran lowered his head; light streamed through his bangs like the rays of sun.


	4. Chapter 3: The Truth

**Chapter 3: The Truth**

* * *

><p>When he looked up again, Bran found two girls standing on the remains of the wall. One had rich brown skin and dark purple tinted hair. A yellow ribbon kept her hair out of her face. Its jagged edges hung down near her temples. Her dark curls flowed down her back where a pair of yellow, zigzagged wings glittered. She wore a bright yellow sleeveless dress, with a lightning shaped gap in the middle, partially exposing her midriff. She wore yellow boots that stopped at her ankles. The other girl had short, blonde hair that was streaked black. Her wings were long and thin and looked a lot like swords because of their silver hue. She appeared to be wearing armor; plates cupped her shoulders and silver wristbands covered her forearms. A band of what looked like metal rested at her waist. The skirt that ran down from it pleated into metallic looking plates. The cloth that covered her chest and arms was pitch black. On her head was a tiara with squared off like the roof of a castle. Her boots were knee high; they glinted like knight's armor.<p>

"You left us!" The dark girl yelled in Matthew's face.

"We had this mission under control." He said, pushing her away from him. "We didn't need your help." Matt crossed his arms in front of his chest.

"That's _beside _the point!" She continued.

Bran stood and helped Seraphine and her mother to their feet. The three of them joined the other teens in the living room.

"If you had everything under control, then why the heck is Pierce lying on the floor like he's dead?" The blond-haired girl said in a dull tone.

"He's fine. Wayne, help him up." Matthew commanded.

The brown-haired teen climbed over the wreckage to his friend. Bran jumped to help him. They each took one arm and lifted Pierce to a sitting position. The young man swayed as he started to regain consciousness.

"Pierce? Pierce, it's over." Wayne told him.

"It doesn't matter. Faragonda said we needed to go _together_. That's point of a team." The girl in the yellow dress yelled in Matthew's face.

"You're not even a part of our team!" Matt yelled back.

"What is going on here?!" A male voice came from the doorway.

Everyone turned their attention to the door. A man stood there. His dark hair was messy and soaked with sweat. He wore a dark blue baggy uniform that covered him from neck to toe. It had patches of sweat under his armpits and around his collar. At his hip hung a belt with different tools and he carried a black toolbox in his left hand. Weariness lined his face, but his eyes blazed with anger.

"Oh, honey, you're home." Lizbeth smiled with uneasiness.

"Lizbeth, what on earth are you wearing? And what are all these kids doing in my house? What happened to the kitchen?" He set his toolbox down and, parted his way through the teenagers, walked over the mess to the giant hole in the wall. "Do you know how much it's going to cost to repair this wall?"

He entered the kitchen. "_Fire damage?_ This going to cost a fortune! Our insurance doesn't cover fire damage!"

Seraphine cringed, Matthew and the girls stared with confusion, Bran and Wayne held up Pierce to his feet. That was the next thing that her father noticed.

"Is he alright? Does he need a doctor? I'll call 911."

Lizbeth jumped into action "Now, honey, there's nothing to worry about."

"Nothing to worry about?!"

"Let's all just sit down and talk about this."

"Talk?! The house is burned to a crisp and you want to talk?!"

Lizbeth took in a deep breathe. She gazed into her husband's eyes and put a hand on his shoulder. "Calm down. Everything is going to be alright. Let's sit down and talk." The soothing spell failed. It never worked on her husband; he was too pig-headed to let the fairy dust affect him.

"I want an explanation now." He said, pointing a finger to ground.

Lizbeth sighed and looked down. Tendrils of her dark hair drooped from her disheveled up do. Her heart ached against her ribs; guilt washed over her. She kept her eyes down as she released the secret that she had kept so long from her family. "I'm a fairy."

"What?" He said, confused.

She turned to Seraphine. "_We're _fairies."

Seraphine felt the world shrink around her. She couldn't breathe, she couldn't hear her heart beat. In a single instant, everything suddenly made sense. Memories flashed across her mind's eye, the books, the feeling, the voices, the mending, it was all because she was a fairy. _Me? A fairy…is it…true?_ In her heart, it all made perfect sense. She was magical, just like the people in those stories. It was like a dream come true. Nevertheless, her mind could not comprehend it all.

She shook herself back to reality. "Wait, wait, are you saying that all this time, I've been a fairy, and you never told me?!"

Lizbeth wrapped her arms around her chest. "Yes." A tear slipped down her cheek.

"Why didn't you tell us?" her husband put an arm on her shoulder.

"Because I…" She looked up at Bran who stood next to a fully conscious Pierce. "His mother and I wanted normal lives. Lives without magic."

'_Without magic?' _Bran's mind had not yet wrapped around the concept of what going on. It took the fairy with yellow wings to help him do that. She walked up to him and studied him.

"You're saying that his mom is a fairy too?"

Matthew pushed her out of the way to examine the teen like a specimen "He's a fairy?"

"No, but he does have the magic level of a wizard, like some of us specialists." Wayne corrected.

"You knew about this?!" Seraphine stomped over to Bran. The young man cringed under the attention he was receiving.

"What?! No! I swear I had no idea about this!" he said to Seraphine.

Her brown eyes were blazing with anger. Matthew and the yellow fairy stepped away from them. Their faces scrunched up with awkwardness.

"Ya know what? It's about time we left." The yellow fairy said nervously.

"For once you're right, Jayden." Matthew said. "Specialists, let's roll out!"

"Come on, Lorelei." Jayden told the armored fairy.

The teens gathered around the center of the living room. Wayne stopped near Bran. "You should attend Red Fountain; they have a lot to offer for." He told him with a grin. Bran raised an eyebrow.

_What's Red Fountain?_

"Hey! Who's gonna pay for the damage?!" Seraphine's dad said.

Wayne walked to the group and pulled another disk out of his utility belt. He flicked it on, its center glowed a brilliant cobalt. Jayden winked. "It's already fixed." She said with a smirk. In a flash of cobalt, the teenagers vanished.

Seraphine's father whipped around to find the house back to normal. "Huh…well I'll be…"he murmured to himself.

"Why didn't you tell me?" Seraphine asked her mother again. Her father spun back around. Gently, he gestured to his daughter to stop.

"Before we continue, let's see this young man out." Her dad said. His eyes pointed to Bran. The teenager felt relief run through him when he heard those words.

_Yes, thank you, get me out of the crossfire._ He thought.

Seraphine threw a glare at him. His insides cringed. Lizbeth walked over to him. She put a gentle hand on his shoulder. "Thank you, Bran." They moved over to the door.

"No problem, if you have any more dragon problems just let me know." He meant it to be a joke, but no one laughed. He quickly cleared his throat. "Um, right, well, uh, good bye."

He slipped out the front door.

Seraphine immediately turned to mother, expecting an answer. Lizbeth's heart ached at the sight of her daughter's face. She never meant to hurt her. She wanted to keep her safe, to give her a normal life, to be happy.

"Sera, honey—" she reached out to her.

"_Why_, mom?" Tears welled at her daughter's eyes. Seraphine always cried when she was angry, and that hurt he mother even more.

"Because I wanted to be normal all my life, I wanted the same for you."

"Didn't you think about letting me chose that for myself? I've never had a normal life! Do you know what I do to books when I read them?! Do you know that I hear their voices in my head?!"

Lizbeth bowed her head. "I know, my dear. You inherited my powers. I know what you're going through."

Tears ran down Seraphine's cheeks, but hot anger filled her chest. She felt betrayed by her own mother. All this time, she thought she was a freak, and she never knew why until now. But knowing the truth seemed to make it worse than better. To her, "fairy" was just a nicer way to say "freak".

"I thought I was losing my mind!" Seraphine wiped her tears away. Her breathes came in heaves as she tried to catch her breath to speak. The lump of emotion throbbed in her throat. She coughed and angrily rubbed the tears out of her eyes.

"Sera…" Her mother's gentle hand touched her shoulder. She pulled away, sobbing.

"Arg!" She ran out of the living room, through the hallway and to her room.

"Sera—!" Lizbeth tried to go after her. Her husband held her back.

"Let her cool her jets, then she'll come down." He said, wrapping an arm around his wife's shoulders. His warmth made her melt. His tenderness brought her to tears.

"Oh, Drew, I'm so sorry." Lizbeth said, gazing up at him with regret.

"I know." He smiled ruefully.

She buried her face in his chest and wept. _I tried to keep her safe, and now, I may lose her._

* * *

><p>The sky was dark when Bran entered his family's apartment. His parents were there to greet him. His father stood a few inches shorter than he did. His hair was black, like Bran's but it was swooped back instead of to the side. Bran shut the door behind him and stood still. Their faces were serious, but their eyes were filled with happiness.<p>

"Um…" Bran started, feeling awkward.

"You're mother told me everything." His father said.

She nodded. "And I want you to know that whatever you decide is fine with us."

He furrowed his brow, confused. "What are you guys talking about?"

Alexandra walked up to him and handed him his tablet. On the screen was a website titled: Red Fountain College for Wizards.

"We know that the move was hard on you." His father said. "So, if you don't want to attend, that's alright with us."

"But we just want you to know, that if you don't want to go to high school, you can go to the college instead."

Bran scrolled through the site. There were pictures of young men riding dragons, sparring, and having a great time.

"You'll be far away from home, but you'll get a chance to meet new friends from across the Magic Dimension." His mother said.

"The Magic Dimension?" he looked up at her. She nodded.

"You are a special, Bran. Magic runs through your veins. That is why you have always been a dreamer, why you talk to animals, why you have an amazing imagination." Her brown eyes glittered with pride and joy.

He had always been afraid of disappointing his parents but he never did like school. He was not that great in academics either. His mind focused on other things, like sports and videogames, and he often dreamed of flying in the air. Now he realized why; his mother was a fairy, it was only natural that he would want to fly like her.

"The choice is yours." She finished, kissing his cheek.

His father gave him a bear hug. "Love you, son."

They left him standing there in living room. He gazed at the image of the school in the sky. It was too good to be true, but it was as real as the dragon he met earlier.

_This place…is like a dream come true._

* * *

><p>Seraphine shut the door to her room and knelt down next to her bed. She buried her face in the covers and gripped them in her fists. She was angry; she could feel the familiar heat in her chest.<p>

_I just want to be normal! Why do I have to be this way?! Why do I have to be a fairy?!_

Through her anger, a small voice tugged on her heart. Gasping, she looked up. Her eyes fell on her backpack. The book was calling her. She wiped away her tears and pulled out the book. Her heart softened. Her mom had the same power as her. That meant that her mother knew how she felt.

_Oh mom, I'm so sorry._ She clung to the book as guilt washed over her. Tears trickled from her eyes and dripped onto the book. She sniffed and wiped her face and the book clean. She knew she had to apologize to her mom, but she was afraid to. _What if she's had at me for yelling at her?_ Part of her blew off the question; she was overthinking this. But she still couldn't shake the fear of losing her mother.

The book pressed on her heart again, its sorrowful cry soothed away the fear and guilt away. Seraphine smiled and stroked the smooth spine. _Thank you._ She put the book down and left her room. She found her parents sitting on the couch. Her father was calm and gentle. He seemed to be taking the news quite well. Her mother sat next to him, her face was sad. She was no longer wearing the gown but was now on her regular clothes. Seraphine approached them they looked up at her. She lowered her eyes.

"Um…" she began, but she never got a chance to finish. Her mother embraced her. Shocked, Seraphine just stood there.

"I'm sorry, Sera. I should have told you the truth long ago." She pulled away to cup her face.

Seraphine gazed into her mother's eyes. "I'm sorry too."

"It's alright dear. I never wanted to hurt you. I will make up for that mistake. I am going to let you choose your own path in life."

"You are?" Sera's eyelids pulled back with astonishment.

"Yes."

He father stood and put an arm around her. "You are a girl with amazing powers, Sera. Your mother told me all that you can do. But she says you can be stronger than you are right now."

"I can?"

"Yes, honey. There are schools for fairies. You can attend one if you like."

Seraphine heart soared. She could meet people just like her, like those girls from earlier. She could make new friends, be herself, and…she stopped.

"Does that mean…I'll be away from home?"

"Yes. The schools are boarding schools."

Her heart sank in an instant. She had lived in Lynwood all her life. She did not want to leave. In fact, she planned on staying in the tiny city for the rest of her life. She was comfortable here, she knew every nook and cranny. Even though the city wasn't much, she held it close to her heart.

"You don't have to if you don't want to." Drew said.

"We just want you to be happy." Her mom added.

Seraphine nodded. "Okay."

Lizbeth stroked her hair. "Hungry? How about we have dinner? There's still potatoes and bread."

"What happened to all the meat?" Drew asked.

Lizbeth rolled her eyes. "Our pet dragon ate it."

"Pet dragon?!"

"No thanks, I'm not hungry." Seraphine said. "I have too much on my mind."

"Okay, honey. Let me know if you need anything."

The mother and daughter hugged then Seraphine went back to her room.

"What pet dragon?!" Drew said as she walked away.

"Let's go eat, I'll explain then."

They disappeared into the kitchen.

Seraphine changed into her pajamas and turned out the lights. She laid down on her bed. Her eyes drifted to the window. Beautiful stars twinkled under the blanket of night sky.

_I have choice to make…what will I choose?_

She had that familiar feeling in her stomach. She felt sick, but she knew she was not. It was fear.

* * *

><p>Matthew and his fellow specialists, along with the two fairies materialized into Headmistress Faragonda's office. The white haired woman was there waiting. The girls no longer wore their fairy outfits; Jayden sported blue jeans and an orange tee. Lorelei was in her gray tank top and silver pants. The blond dug a hand in her pocket and pulled out a brightly colored wrapper. Her fingers tore it off and she tossed a chunk of pink gum into her mouth. Faragonda pushed her thin framed glasses up her nose and stood to greet the young people.<p>

"Welcome back, specialists and fairies. I trust the mission went well. Codatorta has informed me that the baby dragon is back where it belongs."

"It would have been better if a certain someone had waited for us." Jayden growled.

"You took too long to get ready." Matthew countered.

"We _were _ready!"

"We had everything under control."

"No you didn't. Judging by the disaster in that man's house, you had _nothing_ under control." Lorelei retorted bluntly.

"You see?! You only make a mess of things! It was your fault the dragon escaped in the first place!"

"_I _had nothing to do with it! It was all Wayne's fault!"

"Alright, alright!" Faragonda intervened. "That is quite enough. What's done is done. However, this will _not _happen again. You will complete your missions together, no matter who is teamed up with who. Do I make myself clear?"

"Yes ma'am." Wayne and Pierce answered in unison.

"Girls?"

"Yes, headmistress." Lorelei said.

"Yes, Ms. Faragonda." Jayden murmured.

The woman turned to Matthew. The ruffles under her skirt swayed. She tilted her glasses down to eye the young man. His face twisted with a grimace and he gave her an icy glare.

"Understood, Prince Matthew?"

He rolled his eyes with annoyance and looked away. "Yes, ma'am."

"Good. You are dismissed."

Jayden sulked out of the office with Lorelei right behind her.

"That jerk. Who does he think he is?!"

"A prince." Lorelei retorted.

"Very funny."

"It wasn't supposed to be."

Matthew and his two minions walked a ways behind the fairies. Lorelei turned on her heel and started to stroll backwards. She blew a bubble and _pop!_ She pulled it back in with her tongue and said to Matt:

"You're missing one of your slaves, your highness." _Pop!_

Matthew grunted. Tension popped through the air like sparks.

"What was his name again?" _Pop!_

"Jasper…" Wayne answered. He turned sorrowful eyes to Matthew. The prince ignored him but his face was lined with anger.

"Where'd he go?" _Pop!_

Pierce shrugged. "We don't know. He just up and left."

"Must have been your prince's fault. He'd scare any good guy away."

The tension burst into flames; Matthew snapped.

"Shut up!"

Everyone stopped. They looked at him. His face turned bright crimson, his brow furrowed tightly. His blue eyes blazed with hot dragon fire. At his sides, his fists shook violently.

"Matt…" Pierce put a hand on his shoulder. The prince elbowed him in the gut.

"Uh!" The boy fell to the floor with a _thud!_

"Pierce!" Wayne rushed to his side.

"What is your problem!?" Jayden shouted at the prince.

"Shut up!" Matthew roared, tearing through the fairies. He ran down the hall, his footsteps echoed off the walls, his cape bellowed behind him.

Jayden and Lorelei helped Wayne pull Pierce up to his feet. "You alright, buddy?"

"Yeah…I should've warned you guys about that." He winced, holding his abdomen.

"About Jasper?" Lorelei rose an eyebrow. _Pop!_ "It was bound to come up, regardless."

"Besides, you're the one who got a blow to the stomach, not us." Jayden frowned.

Wayne sighed with dismay. Pierce closed his eyes. Sadness lined his face.

Jayden's frown vanished. "Hey…what _did _happen to Jas?"

The boys glanced at one another briefly, as if passing mental messages to one another. They exchanged a nod then turned back to the girls.

"Promise not to tell anyone?" Wayne asked.

"Promise." _Pop!_

Jayden nodded. "O'course."

Pierce spoke with a hushed voice. "Jasper is losing is mind."

The girls' eyes widened.

"He had nightmares all during summer training." Wayne continued. "At first he only had one a week but then…"

"They increased in number, from one, to three a week, until he started having one every night." Pierce looked down with regret. Even the curls on his head hung down with sadness.

"They got worse and worse…to the point that he couldn't control himself any longer."

* * *

><p>Matthew stirred in his bed. Cries of distress from his roommate echoed in his ears. Moaning, the prince rose. He rubbed the sleep from his eyes. Looking across the room, he spotted his friend, sprawled out on top of the blankets of his bed. The young man shifted about, his arms gripped the sheets.<p>

"Jas?" Matt stood and approached his friend.

The sixteen year old laid tangled in his muscle shirt and gym shorts. He was soaked with sweat, but his skin was deathly white. His brow was furrowed tightly over his firmly shut eyes. His long black hair twisted wetly over his face. He panted heavily, and thrashed about as if he was fighting someone.

"N-no! Get…get away!" Jasper gasped.

"Jas?" Matthew shook his friend's shoulder. "Jas, it's me, wake up."

"No!" his voice rose in volume. His hands pushed Matt away.

The side door in the room opened and in came Pierce and Wayne in their pajamas, if one could call them pajamas. Pierce only wore a pair of loose sweatpants. Wayne donned a t-shirt with an elf character on it and a pair of bright green gym shorts.

"What's going on?" Wayne asked.

"He's having another one." Matt answered.

The other two boys approached the bed slowly and quietly, as if they were trying not to wake a sleeping giant.

"Will you guys stop doing that? He isn't going to hurt you." Matt growled. He sat at Jasper's bedside. He shook his shoulder gently. "Jas, Jas wake up."

Jasper's chest rose and fell with short gasps. "No! No!" his hands pried Matthew's arm off.

"Jas! Listen to my voice, it's me, Matt."

"No! Monster! Get away from me!" the scream tore out of the young man's mouth. His arms thrashed about as his legs kicked the blankets off the bed.

"Matt, get back!" Pierce pulled on his leader's shoulders. "He's fighting for his life in that dream!"

"Let me go!" Matt yanked away and bent over Jasper. He shook him. "Jas! Jas! Wake up!"

"NO!" Jasper roared. Suddenly, he jumped awake and in the next second, he had the prince pinned to the ground. His eyes, tinted red, widened with burning fury. His black hair flowed wildly from his head. His arms shook as he squeezed Matthew's throat.

"Matt!" Pierce yelled.

"Jas! Stop!" Wayne shouted.

The two boys leapt into action. They pulled at Jasper, struggling to pry him off their leader.

Matthew wriggled under Jasper's grip. "Jas…!" He rasped. "Jas…it's me!"

Jasper's eyes glowed with violent rage. His teeth clenched so tightly together; the veins on his neck popped out. He shook with such ferocity that his muscles rippled. Matthew's lungs burned for oxygen as his hands scrambled to open up Jasper's fingers. Tears leaked down the corners of his eyes and trickled down to his ears. He could hear his heart racing, but at the same time, he could feel it tearing at the seams. His friend, his best bud, was slowly killing him. Matthew could not bear it much longer, but he did not want Jasper to be consumed by his nightmare.

"Jas…! Ja….s…" He made a last attempt to call him back to reality but…the prince felt his mind slipping away. His vision started to fade. All he could see was the rage in his friend's eyes. His head floated on dark clouds of despair as his heartbeat slowed in his ears. The heat in his blood ran cold. His strength left him.

Then, by some miracle, Jasper came to. The rage and anger melted off his face like a mask. His eyes widened with terror. Trembling, he yanked away from all three boys. Pinning himself to the side of his bed, he stared at his hands. The palms were wet with sweat and white like snow. He looked up at his friends, who were trying to revive the unconscious prince. Blinking back tears of horror and regret, Jasper stared at Matthew. His face was deathly pale, his eyes were closed, and his body was perfectly still.

"Matt!" Pierce yelled.

"Matt, wake up!" Wayne screamed.

Their voices sounded distant. Everything seemed to be happening in slow motion. Their lips moved sluggishly as the words slurred together. Like something in a movie, they moved about slowly, scrambling to save their leader from death. Jasper stared at the red marks on Matthew's neck. Gasping, he looked down at his hands. Purple and blue veins protruded from his wrists. The muscles in his arms ached with tension.

"What…have I done?" He whispered, tucking his hands under his arms.

Quivering like a person stuck in a blizzard, Jasper curled up into a ball. _I've become a monster…_Tears streamed down his cheeks. His heart hit rock bottom. He had lived his greatest fear and now, he paid for it, with the life of his friend.

_Never again…_he decided. _Never again will I hurt anyone._

Then, while his friends were preoccupied, he stood and walked to closet. Still shaking, Jasper changed into black clothes. He pulled the hood of his sweater over his head and yanked on his only pair of black sneakers. Breathing hard, he peeked back into the room. The two boys were still fighting to wake Matthew. The knife of guilt and the sword of shame cut into his heart. Swallowing back tears of regret, Jasper ran. He ran down the corridors of the Red Fountain School. The dark halls reminded him of the darkness in his mind. His feet echoed across the empty corridors; a symbol of his hollow heart. He ran straight into the jet hanger. The lights flicked on at his movement, but that light did not lift his fallen heart. He leapt onto the nearest wind rider and started it. Its engine thundered through the empty hanger. It shot forward, blowing the hood off his head. He angled the handles and leaned into the turn. At top speed, he zoomed toward the closed hanger door. Tucking his head behind the handlebars, Jasper gripped the football like helmet in his hand. Then, he threw it at the hanger door's button. It smashed into the switch, and the hanger cranked open.

Jasper flew out into the cold night sky. His hair whipped behind him like a black cape. He gripped the handlebars tightly as he made his descent. The moonlight streamed down on him, glinting off the metal plates of the bike. As he watched the ground rushing to meet him, tears trickled off his eyes and into the air. _Matthew…I'm sorry...please forgive me…_ Like a thief in the night, Jasper vanished.

* * *

><p>Jayden put a hand on Wayne's shoulder. "I'm sorry." She said.<p>

Wayne nodded. He sniffed, trying his hardest not to tear up. _Don't be wimp._ He told himself.

"At least Matthew's alright." _Pop!_

"Not exactly." Pierce said. "He's been taking it hard. Jasper was his best friend."

"Not his slave? That's a first." _Pop!_

"How about you, Pierce?" Jayden asked.

A deep sigh left his mouth. "I wanted to help him. But now he's gone."

_Pop!_ "Bummer. Well, good luck with your prince, slaves." Lorelei turned around and strolled down the hall with her hands jammed in her pockets.

Jayden rolled her eyes. "Sorry about her, she's always like that."

Pierce shrugged. "It's alright, we've put up with worse."

"Yeah, and it's called 'Matthew, prince of Eraklyon.'" Jayden growled.

Pierce smiled lightly. "Yup. Well, good luck with your summer training."

"Thanks, you guys too. Later."

Wayne waved, Pierce nodded.

* * *

><p>Bran sat at his regular seat in the Prism Café, surfing the net of the Magic Dimension. His mother used her magic to give his tablet access to it. It was eye opening to learn that there were other planets in the universe, all inhabited by magical creatures.<p>

_This is way better than aliens_.

He found sites on colleges, magic, specialists, history, and worlds. He clicked the one called Magix. The Red Fountain site stated that the school was located on a planet called Magix. The site loaded and he scrolled through it. He discovered that Magix housed three colleges; Red Fountain for Wizards, Cloud Tower for Witches, and Alfea for Fairies. Curious, he clicked the link. Within a few seconds, he discovered that Seraphine could attend this school. It truly was a dream come true. If he did go, maybe Seraphine could go with him.

He glanced at his phone. He had sent Seraphine a text asking her to meet him at the café. She had not texted him back. He wondered if she was still mad at him. _Girls are so weird. They blame you for everything._

Just as he was about to send another text, She entered the café. He watched as she made her way to her seat.

"Hey," She said.

Bran could feel the tension around her. "Hey,"

She sat down, placing her backpack on the floor. "Um…Listen, I uh…want to apologize for getting mad at you yesterday. It wasn't your fault, and I had no right to treat you that way."

"I forgive you."

She looked down, nodding.

"Uh…Ahem," he began. "I have something to tell you."

She looked up at him. His eyes looked sad.

"I, uh…I'm going to attend Red Fountain."

She furrowed her brow, confused.

"My parents said I could if I wanted to, and I want to."

"That's the school for…?"

"Wizards."

"What about high school? You told me you planned on finishing and becoming an electrician." The sick feeling came to her stomach again. She felt like throwing up.

Bran looked away. His bangs blocked his face. "Too be honest, I don't know what I'm going to do. I'm not very school smart. This college could help me learn things that are hands on."

_What has gotten into him?_ She thought. It was so unlike him to accept change. What would make him accept it now?

"Any trade school can do that." She said.

_What is her problem? Why is she doing this? _He thought. _Can't she see that I've made up my mind?_

In reality, neither one of them had made up their minds. Both of them were debating on whether or not they should go to the Magic Dimension. Bran favored going, Seraphine wanted to stay.

"I want to at least give it a try." He said.

"What do your parents think about this?"

"They're letting me chose."

She sighed. _So are mine…_"I guess you've made up your mind then."

"There's one more thing."

"What?"

"I want you to come with me."

"What?!"

"There's a school for fairies near Red Fountain. We can go to Magix together."

"Magix?"

"It's the planet at the center of the Magic Dimension." He unlocked his tablet and showed her pictures of the planet "See? There are three schools there, Red Fountain, Cloud Tower and Alfea. Alfea is a school for fairies."

Seraphine gazed at the images. Everything about them was beautiful. Magix looked a lot like Earth. But its atmosphere had a glimmering gold color to it. The planet's surface was covered with trees and mountains. There was beautiful lake that was so crystal clear, it was a mirror, reflecting the light of the sun. Alfea was picture perfect. It showed a setting sun shining orange and red colors against the school's pink walls. In the distance, behind the school, she saw towering trees and huge purple mountains. It was amazing, it looked like something she had only seen in books. She stopped herself. _Wait..._

"You can't be serious." She shook her head at him.

"I am!" he said, raising his eyebrows.

"I don't want to go."

"Why not?! We can meet new people and hone our skills as magical beings!" His eyes lit up like the 4th of July. She had never seen him so excited.

_Except for when it comes to food._ She thought, trying not to laugh.

He wanted her to say yes. He was dying for her to say yes. He did not want to lose his only friend now that he finally got her back.

"Besides…we just barely reunited…" He added.

Their eyes met. It was the moment of truth. He wanted to go, she wanted to stay, but neither of them was ready to lose the other. His eyes begged her. The voice that came from them reminded her of all the books she had fixed. He could see the fear in her eyes, the fear of the unknown.

"I'm scared." She whispered.

"I'll be with you." He coaxed.

"I'll get homesick."

"You can visit."

"What if it doesn't work out?"

"At least you can say you tried."

She looked out the window. The sick feeling tied her gut in knots. She tried to get her mind off her fear. Clouds hovered in the sky. She watched them float by. Fear always kept her from doing anything, from reaching her full potential.

_Maybe this is my first step to reaching that potential._ She thought. _If I can take it…_

Bran knew she was at her tipping point. He also knew that it was her fear that was holding her back. He placed his hand over hers. She turned to him. Anxiety filled her eyes. He smiled. "Don't be afraid."

He felt her relax under palm. Her mouth curved into a smile. "Thank you, Bran."

He pulled his hand away. "Anything for a friend. Now let's go tell our parents."

* * *

><p>Seraphine's heart pounded in her ears. She could not keep her anticipation under control. She fidgeted at the dinner table like a two-year-old on sugar.<p>

"Honey, you alright?" Her father asked. He sat off to her right wearing his electrician's uniform.

"Mhmm." She nodded. She shoved a spoonful of broccoli into her mouth, chewing vigorously to get her nerves under control.

There was a loud clatter as her mother set down the bread platter on the table. Seraphine jumped.

"Here we—Seraphine, what's wrong?"

"Nothing," She grabbed a slice of bread to prove that she was okay. The heat from it scorched her fingers. She gasped and jumped at the same time, dropping the slice on her plate.

"Sera, be careful!" her mother scolded.

"Sorry!" she said quickly, blowing on her fingers.

Her mother raised an eyebrow. "Alright, what's going on?" She put her left arm on her hip.

"Nothing!" Seraphine went as stiff as a board. Her eye grew large, her last attempt to look innocent. Her heart beat like a drum in her chest.

Her father put his fork down, "Is this about a boy?" His pupils narrowed.

"It's about Bran isn't it?" Her mother said with a scrutinizing expression.

"No—well, kind of—but not really."

"_Kind of_?" Her father raised an eyebrow at her.

"_Not really_?" her mother glared.

Seraphine gulped. _I hate being a terrible liar._ "Bran asked me to go to Magix with him." The words fell out her mouth.

Her father's face scrunched up with bewilderment, both of her mother's eyebrows went up.

"Magix? Don't you mean Magic Mountain?"

"_No_, dad, Magix as in 'the center of the Magic Dimension'" she said in her "now, duh" tone.

"Don't talk to your father like that." Lizbeth scolded.

"Sorry." Seraphine shrank.

Lizbeth sat down. "As for Magix, there is a school there for fairies."

"Yeah! It's called Alfea! Oh dad, it's so pretty! Though it could use a paint job. That pink is awful."

Lizbeth tossed back her head and laughed.

"Really? Well, I don't think you should go if that young man is going to that school."

Seraphine laughed, "No, dad, he isn't going to Alfea. He's going to the school close by. It's called Red Fountain. It's a school for wizards."

"The schools aren't co-ed, love." Lizbeth said.

"Thank goodness." Drew murmered, looking down at his plate. He poked at his broccoli.

"Well, if you two plan on attending, then you need to apply first."

"Apply?"

"Every college requires application." Drew said matter-of-factly.

"Oh…"

"Don't worry, it's all online. I'll help you." Lizbeth said.

"Okay!"

* * *

><p>Bran entered the apartment to find his parents sitting on couch watching TV.<p>

"Hey, mom, dad?"

"Yes?" His mother asked.

"What's up, son?" His father said.

"I've decided."

They both turned away from the TV and faced their son. He gulped. The television flashed and talked in the background. He took in a deep breath like he was about to make a high dive. _Well, here goes._

"I want to attend Red Fountain."

They looked at each other. They looked pleased, but he could not exactly tell what they thought of his decision. He knew they let him choose, but that did not mean they would be happy with his choice. He studied his father's face, who was angled toward him. His dark eyes looked sad, but they had a hint of pride.

Alexandra turned to her son. "Bran, come here, sweetheart." She patted the empty seat next to her. He sat down.

She held his hand. "Honey, we know that you don't think you'll be much in life."

Bran looked away, feeling her words cut straight to his heart. _Thanks for reminding me._

"But we want you to know," His father put a hand to his neck, brushing strands of his son's hair. "I want you to know, that even if you weren't magical, that you still would've made me proud."

Bran looked back at them. His eyes scanned their expressions. His mother had tears in her eyes; her lovely brown eyes glistened with sadness. But underneath that, was a glow of happiness. His father was smiling gently. He still have that same look in his eyes. Bran felt a lump gather in his throat. He tried to swallow it down but a tear escaped him. He quickly brushed it away, not wanting to cry in front of them. They noticed anyway. His father gave his shoulder a squeeze as his mother hugged him.

"You will always be special to us," He felt her whisper in his ear. "No matter what you do."

A weight lifted off his heart. He was afraid of disappointing his parents, of not meeting their standards. They had always expected a lot out of him, had always pushed him to his limits. Now, they were letting him become who he wanted to be. Tears streamed down his cheeks. He struggled to pull himself together. Sniffing, he swallowed, the lump in his throat ached.

"I'll do my very best." He croaked. "I promise."

"We know you will." His mother kissed his cheek. She gingerly wiped his tears away. "We know you will."

He smiled as he blinked back tears. He embraced his parents; they put their arms around him. His heart swelled with love. _I promise._


	5. Chapter 4: The Letter

**Chapter 4: The Letter**

* * *

><p>Seraphine sat on the porch, fixing "The Wizard's Test." Although her attention was glued on the book, she still had that sick feeling in her stomach. This was the third day that she sat outside of her house, waiting for the letter from Alfea. Last month she had applied, and now she was doing the hardest part; waiting.<p>

"It'll arrive by mail." Her mother told her.

"How?"

"I don't know how, but they always manage to get them to fairies on Earth. Don't worry, dear. Go sit outside and wait for it. It'll come, you'll see."

_I sure hope so._ Seraphine thought, peeking out from behind the book. Silvery clouds streaked across the sky. They looked like Chinese dragons. Seraphine smiled. She remembered reading a book that had a Chinese dragon in it. In the end, the dragon gave its life to save an emperor who had died protecting him. She did not fix that part in the story; she thought it was a perfect picture of true friendship.

_Friendship…the world is lonely without friends…I'm glad I have at least one friend to cure that._

She was about to start reading again when the mail woman came from the neighbors' house. The woman leaned to the right as she walked, her hands rummaged through her mailbag. It was quite large and looked very heavy. She walked up the path.

"Hi," she smiled, her teeth contrasted with her beautiful dark skin.

"Hello," Seraphine smiled back.

"Still waiting for that letter?"

"Mhmm."

She walked up to the porch and handed her a small stack of envelopes. "Here you are. I hope it's in there."

_Me too._

"Thank you."

"You're welcome."

As the mail woman walked away, Seraphine filtered through the letters.

_Bills, bills, bills…_

At the end of the stack was her letter from Alfea. The stamp was pink, with a lovely set of swirly blue wings on it. She gasped with excitement and scrambled off the bench. She gripped the book in one hand and the stack of letters in the other. Running into the house, she threw the other mail and the book on the table, and flew into the kitchen.

"It came!" She yelled, her voice bounced off the walls. Her mother jumped so high, she almost hit the ceiling.

"Sera!" her eyes were large with surprise.

"Mom, mom, it came!"

It took her about a second to register what her daughter was saying. Then it stuck her. "Oh! The letter!"

"Yes! From Alfea!" Seraphine jerked a chair out of the table and plopped down on it. She held the letter in both hands. Her eyes followed the black strokes of ink that formed her name. They were like magic flowing on the white paper. _Magic…_

"Go on, open it." Her mother said.

Seraphine's thumb stroked the corner that read 'Alfea'. The excitement twisted into anxiety. _What if I didn't get accepted?..._ She felt sick again. Swallowing down the urge to vomit, she put the letter down.

"I can't." She said with disappointment. She gripped the edges of her skirt.

"Why not?"

Seraphine looked up at her mother. "What if—"

Her mother put a finger to her lips. Seraphine looked into her mother's eyes. They radiated warmth and anticipation. "Open it." She whispered.

The dark-haired girl turned back to the letter. It sat on the table, white and delicate, waiting to be opened and read. Like a book on a shelf, the message tugged on her heart. It wasn't a sad lament. It was a melody of hope. She picked it up again. The paper felt smooth under her fingertips. Her heart started to pound. She could hardly breathe as she turned it over. A wax seal was stamped with an uncial 'A'. Gulping slowly, she broke it and pulled out the message inside. Her fingers unfolded it. Her eyes flowed down the lines of letters as she read it. They were looking for one word: "accepted." They ran along the black shapes, the lovingly written letters. They studied every word, filtering them through her mind. Just when she thought she'd missed it, they found the word. She gasped, her heart skipped a beat.

"You made it!" Her mother hugged her shoulders.

Seraphine just sat there, shocked. She couldn't believe it. _I…got in…_ She sighed with relief. _Finally, after a month's wait, I made it._ She smiled as her mother kissed her head.

"I'm so happy for you dear!"

Her phone buzzed in her pocket. She jumped. "Oh!" She put the letter down and yanked out her phone. Bran's picture flashed on the screen. "It's Bran."

"Oh, he probably got his letter too." Lizbeth walked back to sink.

Seraphine clicked the green button and put the phone to her ear. "Yellow?"

"Phine! You'll never guess—!" Bran's voice sounded muffled.

"What?"

"I—got…it said—!"

"I can't hear you."

"Yahoo! Phine!"

Seraphine pulled away and rubbed her ear.

_Ow…does he have to yell?_

She put it back to her ear. Sounds shifted through the phone line. "Bran?"

"I'm coming!"

"What?"

Her phone beeped in her ear. _Huh? _She pulled away again to find that he had hung up. _Are you kidding me?_

Suddenly, a frantic knock came at the front door. She jumped and dropped her phone.

"Who's that?" Her mother wiped her hands on her apron.

Annoyed, Seraphine pushed the chair back and knelt down. Her fingers gripped her phone and tucked it back in its pocket. "Bran." She replied, exasperated.

She left the kitchen and opened the front door. A scream escaped her lips as Bran flew in and grabbed her by the waist He held her closely, and spun her around. Gasping, she clung tightly to his shoulders as the world swirled around her.

"I did it!" He yelled, spinning her faster. Her legs swung out, floating on air as the velocity of the spin peaked. She squealed with delight, enjoying the moment of weightlessness. Finally, he set her down. Both of them were panting and unbalanced. Seraphine lost her balance. Bran tried to catch her, but he fell forward. He leaned back, holding Seraphine's hand. "Whoa," He fell on the couch, accidentally taking her with him.

"Ah!" She landed face first into the cushions. "Oof!"

"Hahaha!" Bran threw his head back and let out a guffaw. The dizziness pulled his head down. "Whoa!" He slid off the couch. "Ow."

Seraphine pulled her face out in time to see him fall. She burst out laughing. Gravity dragged her down and she too fell off the couch. They laid there on the floor, laughing so hard that they could hardly breathe.

Lizbeth, hearing the storm of laughter came into the living room.

"What…what happened?" she asked.

Bran, still laughing and disoriented, rolled onto his hands and knees. "Mrs. Walker, you'll never guess—!" He tried to stand but fell on his side. Another chorus of cackles poured out of him and Seraphine.

Lizbeth rolled her eyes, but could not help laughing with them. "Let me guess, you got accepted to Red Fountain?"

"Yes!" The young man angled his head back to look at her. He pointed to the ceiling like a genius who had had an epiphany. His hair was thrown back and she could see his face clearly. His eyes were shining like fireworks. His mouth was wide open with the biggest smile she had ever seen. Lizbeth laughed.

"Oh, Bran, hahaha,"

Half laughing, half gasping, Bran rolled to a sitting position. His throat hurt from all the laughter that had ensued from his mouth. "Ahaha," He leaned against the couch. Catching his breath, he turned to Seraphine. Her body trembled slightly as she tried to stop giggling. Her cheeks were red, and she coughed, swallowing hard to keep down the laughs.

"Ahem!" she cleared her throat. "That's wonderful, Bran." She said, smiling.

"Isn't it?" he breathed, smirking.

"But guess what's better than that?"

"What?"

"I got accepted to Alfea!"

"You did?!"

"Yes!"

"Haha! That calls for a celebration!" He scooped her up in his arms and spun her around again.

"Ahahaha!"

Lizbeth laughed as she watched the two teens. She was happy for them both, but her heart couldn't help feeling the pain of letting her daughter go. It cut through her like knife, exposing her deepest fears. She looked down. _Oh my sweet baby girl. How I will miss you. _She stopped herself. Her daughter was still with her; now was the time to enjoy her while she had her. She rose her eyes. Bran and Sera were on his tablet. Their eyes were wide with anticipation, the corners of their mouths were up so high that their cheeks had cute little wrinkles in them.

A smile spread across her face. _Yes, a celebration indeed._

* * *

><p>That night, Seraphine laid in her bed, staring up at the ceiling. Her room's walls were dark; only the moon's soft rays peeked through the sheer red curtains. Her stomach bubbled with a mix of emotions; anticipation, anxiety, curiosity. The jumble of feelings bounced around making her feel sick. She sat up and pulled the curtain back. The moon's rays flooded in with beautiful streams of ivory light. Leaning against the windowsill, she gazed up at the velvet sky. Stars twinkled high above her head. The moon hung among them, the crescent tilted like the smile of the Cheshire cat.<p>

_Just two more days. Then I'll be there…In a galaxy far far away._ She giggled softly to herself at the allusion.

Her eyes stared up at the glittering stars. _Please...take away my fear. Help me be brave. Help me become a fairy._

* * *

><p>Bran sat on the roof of his apartment. The stars stared down at him with gleaming eyes of light. His eyes scanned the sky. He took in a deep breath of the gentle breeze. It flowed through his hair, sweeping it away from his face filling him with hope. He closed his eyes and smiled. <em>Imagine, experiencing this everyday…It's a dream come true.<em>

His eyes opened to gaze up at the moon. It dropped its white light down on him, like a spotlight.

_This is my chance to do something great. To be who I want to be._

* * *

><p>Jayden turned over on her bed. A spring rubbed against her upper ribs. Groaning, she flipped onto her right side. Something jabbed her arm. <em>What the? <em>She pushed a hand under the yellow blanket. A second later, she pulled out a pencil. _I was looking for that._ She tossed it off and laid back down. Sighing, she closed her eyes.

_Tick tock. Tick tock. Tick tock._

Her eyes flew open. _Tick tock._

_Ugh…_ She sat up and looked at the clock on her bedside drawer. It read 2:55. Frustration festered in her chest. She collapsed on the bed. Exhaling sharply, she tossed off the covers and left the room to the main room of the apartment.

_I need some air._ She thought, walking to the balcony in her pajama shorts and neon yellow t-shirt. She opened the glass doors and stepped out. The wind greeted her with a nippy zephyr. She leaned against the banister, unaffected by the chill. Closing her eyes, she breathed in deeply, taking in the wind that zoomed from Lake Roccaluce. It refreshed her, filling her soul, reminding her of her home on Andros. She smiled as the memories of her home planet flooded her mind. The simple life, the small house filled with brothers and sisters, the white sands that greeted them every morning. She remembered the smell of fish as they pulled them in on nets. She could hear them flapping about on the deck of the boat as the sea salt air zoomed by, tossing up waves of deep cerulean blue.

"You're homesick." Lorelei's voice entered her ears.

Jayden's heart jumped and opened her eyes. "Nah." She said quickly.

"You're lying."

Jayden exhaled sharply. No one could lie to Lorelei; she'd find them out instantly.

"It's okay, you know." Lorelei added. "To be homesick."

"Not for me. I'm glad I'm outta there."

"That's what you said last month. But that's not true. You have trouble sleeping 'cause you're used to hearing the noise from all those siblings. You miss the sounds of the ocean crashing in the distance."

Jayden looked away and smiled. _Lorelei, you're the best. Even when I don't talk, you understand me._

The blond haired girl put an arm around her shoulders. "You'll be okay."

Jayden nodded. Then, a thought came into her mind. "That's too bad about Jasper."

"Yeah,"

"Think we'll ever see him again?"

"If we're lucky. You got a crush on him."

Jayden thanked the Infinite Ocean that her skin was dark enough to hide her flaming cheeks. _Dang, she's good!_

"Do not!"

"You're lying again. Come on, let's go get some sleep."

Jayden smiled and the two girls reentered the apartment, leaving a silvery moon gleaming down on a sleeping Alfea.


	6. Chapter 5: Leaving Home

Chapter 5: Leaving Home

* * *

><p>Two days later, Seraphine found herself sitting on her bed. Her eyes gazed around her bedroom. The sick feeling came to her stomach as she settled on the thought that she was leaving this familiar place to Alfea. She was leaving the zebra striped bed, the white vanity and dresser, the bookcases stuffed with all her past adventures. Her heart sank in her chest. She did not want to leave; this place was all she had ever known. As she sat within those comfortable cream walls, she realized how much she would miss her own little space. Just as she let out a heart-wrenching sigh, her mother came in.<p>

"All set?" Lizbeth sat next her daughter.

"Physically I am…" Seraphine said. "But emotionally I'm not. Do I really have to leave early? I mean, classes don't start until two days from now."

Her words pulled at the strings of Lizbeth's heart. Her daughter was hurting, but Lizbeth knew this was for the best. If they delayed her leave any longer, she would not go at all. She wrapped an arm around Seraphine's shoulders and pulled her close. Rubbing her daughter's arm, the mother leaned her head against hers.

"I know it's hard, sweetheart, but remember what we talked about? If you go early, you can make some friends and get to know the campus a bit before you start the school year."

Seraphine sighed again. "I know…I'm just…scared." She leaned on her mother's chest. The smell of her rose scented perfume gently filled her nostrils. Just a whiff of it brought back memories of the times she had spent with her. She remembered their walks in the park during the summer mornings. She recalled them gardening out front and splashing in the rain during spring. She remembered raking the leaves together, only to jump into the piles when finished. She remembered baking cookies and pies with her during the winter months. Most of all, she remembered her mother's smile, her mother's laugh. A tear rolled down her cheek.

"Oh, honey." Lizbeth wiped it away with her thumb. "It's okay to be afraid." She gave her shoulder a gentle squeeze. "But you can't let that stop you. There is a whole world—dimension, out there for you to see. There are places beyond your imagination that are waiting for you."

She placed her hand under Sera's chin and lifted her face. "Don't you want to see them? Don't you want to become a fairy? To live the fantasy that you have always wanted to live?"

Sniffing, Seraphine nodded. Her mother was right. This is what she had always wanted. She had always dreamed, hoped, prayed, that she could be magical, that she could live in the books she read. Now was her chance, because she really was magical. Magic pulsed through her blood like oxygen. She could feel it, she could hear it calling her.

"Then put aside that fear and take this leap of faith." Lizbeth smiled. "And you'll find that this was the best decision that you have ever made."

"I thought you wanted me to be normal?"

"_I _wanted to be normal. But you aren't me, Sera. You are _you._ I want you to be who _you_ want be, remember?"

Seraphine pondered the statement. She understood that her mother accepted her decision…but was she truly happy with it? There was only one way to find out.

"Mom, be honest with me. Are you happy with this? With letting me go, I mean?"

Lizbeth looked down. Sera studied her face intently.

"At first I wasn't happy…but your father helped me see that here in Lynwood you can only learn so much, you can only grow so much. He said that by letting you go, you could grow so much more, not just in your abilities and skills, but as a person as well." She looked up into her daughter's eyes. "Seraphine, I don't want you to stop growing. I know that attending this school will help you grow so much more than if you stayed here. And that," She cupped her daughter's cheeks. "Makes me the happiest mother in the world."

Seraphine blinked back tears as she embraced her mother. She buried her face in her hair, taking in her scent as her heart lifted. _If she's happy, then so am I_. She thought. Sniffing, Seraphine whispered in her ear. "Mom, is it okay if I take some your perfume with me?"

Lizbeth laughed as they pulled apart.

"Oh, and some of dad's cologne too?"

"Hahaha, oh Sera, what a strange request. Why do you want those?"

Seraphine smiled ruefully. "So I can always remember what you guys smell like, and so I won't feel so homesick."

Her words touched Lizbeth's heart. "Oh, sweetie…" She ran her fingers through her hair, gently pushing it away from her face. "Here, I have an idea. Give me the two stuffed animals you packed."

Seraphine opened her backpack and pulled out a stuffed bull terrier and a stuffed red fox. "You mean Zelda and Duke?"

"Yes," Lizbeth rolled her eyes. She held up the red fox. "I'll spray it with your father's cologne and then—"

"Not that one, mom! That's Zelda. Here," She switched the dolls. "This one is Duke."

Lizbeth shook her head. "Ok, now, like I was saying: I'll spray his cologne on it, and then use a spell to have it keep the smell."

"Okay. Oh! Can I watch?!"

"Mhmm, come along."

Lizbeth left the room to the hall. Sera followed, carrying Zelda the red fox in her arms. They entered the parents' room where Lizbeth took up Drew's bottle of cologne. She sprayed the bull terrier lightly then, after setting down the bottle, she waved a hand over it. A turquoise aura surrounded it, and glowing dust swirled around its fur as Lizbeth said:

"Scent of memory, remain so steadily. Settle and stay, while home is away."

The black and white dog pulsed with a magic glow then returned to normal.

"Smell him." Lizbeth offered it back to her daughter.

Seraphine promptly sniffed the soft fur. It smelled just like her father's cologne.

"And that smell will always be there as long as he's away from here."

"Wow, really?"

"Mhmm." Lizbeth took the red fox next and repeated the procedure, but this time, she used her perfume.

"There. All done."

Seraphine squeezed her mom's middle. "Thank you so much,"

Lizbeth gasped with surprise then smiled. She embraced her daughter. "You're very welcome. Now, let's bring your stuff to the living room."

They moved her luggage and such to the front room just as her father entered the house.

"I finished the job as quick as I could."." Drew panted, wiping sweat off his forehead.

"Dad!" Seraphine ran to his arms.

"Sera!" He scooped her up, holding her tightly. "Oh, sweetheart, I was so afraid I'd missed you."

She kissed his prickly cheek. "I would've waited for you."

He set her down with a groan of agony. "Ow, my back."

Seraphine let out a stream of giggles.

"I hope they feed you healthy food. You need to lose some weight, missy." Drew winked, poking her belly. She blushed.

"Daaahahad!"

"Hahaha, I'm just kidding." He ruffled her hair playfully.

"Hahaha! Dad! My hair!"

Lizbeth rolled her eyes. _So silly._

A knock came at the front door. "I'll get it." Lizbeth said, walking over to it. She opened it to Alexandra and Bran. The teenager carried a few bags with him.

"Hi!" Alex waved.

"Hey, come on in."

They entered the house and greetings and hugs filled the atmosphere.

"Hi, Bran." Seraphine said, giving him a squeeze.

"Hey!" Bran smiled

"Great to see you again, Alex."

"Hello, Drew, how is work?"

"Busy, thankfully. How about with you?"

"Same as always."

"Ready, Bran?"

"Sure am. What about you, Phine?"

"Kinda."

"Aw, don't worry, you'll be fine."

"Well, I believe now would be a good time to leave." Lizbeth announced.

Seraphine immediately turned her dad, wrapping her arms around him. She buried her face in his chest, hearing his great heart beat in her ears. She felt his strong arms around her, making her feel safe and warm.

"I love you, Seraphine."

"I love you, dad."

After a few seconds, they pulled away, and Sera planted a gentle kiss on his other cheek.

"Be careful, okay?"

"I will, dad."

"Bran, protect her, understand?"

"Yes, sir."

The two them shared a vigorous handshake in a promise. Lizbeth turned to her friend Alex.

"Ready?"

"Mhmm."

They stood back to back, with their fingers poised in the peace sign gesture. A bright light filled the room with colors of cerulean and powder blue. It faded to reveal the two women in their flowing fairy outfits. Alex wore a medium length dress with long, flowing sleeves. Her wings were delicate swallowtail wings that were white and light blue instead of yellow and black. Lovely sky blue gems hung where the tails would be on a swallowtail butterfly. Her hair was neatly arranged with sky blue ribbons running through the strands that pulled into a braid and wrapped over her forehead. This time around, Sera got a better look at her mother's fairy form. Her long, teal gown had sheer sleeves that stopped at her elbows. The chest part had light pink feathers that pointed upward. At the end of the dress, the same kind of feathers pointed downward. Her wings were angel wings that had pink and turquoise jewels hanging from their tips. Her hair was piled above her head, with light pink ribbons wrapped around the levels of hair.

"Wow, mom, you look great." Bran said with surprise.

"Thank you, dear." Alex curtsied gracefully. Her wings fluttered, sprinkling light blue fairy dust everywhere.

"Wow…" Seraphine stared as the glowing specks swirled around her.

Lizbeth and Drew hugged.

"We'll be back in a bit, hon."

"Alright. Make sure our little girl gets there safely."

"I will."

They shared a quick kiss before she turned to form a turquoise portal in the middle of the living room. The gateway flashed white then swirled into a kind of whirlpool.

"Now, here's the trick. Take in a deep breath, then step in." Lizbeth said. She gulped the air and vanished into the spinning light.

Seraphine gulped. _Oh dear._

"Sweet!" Bran exclaimed. He shouldered his bags then jumped through the portal.

Drew guffawed, "That kid sure is crazy."

"Mhmm," Alex smiled. "Go ahead, Sera."

The nauseating feeling rose into Seraphine's stomach. Her heart rushed to her throat. She felt the world shrink around her as she stared at the portal. The light glowed eerily before her eyes. Her stomach tied itself in knots of anxiety. Gasping, she spun around and clung to her father.

"I can't!" She cried, gripping his shirt. She trembled and shook in his arms.

Drew felt his heart crack. "Oh, Sera." He stroked her hair. "Ssshh, it's alright."

She buried her face in his chest. Fear was taking over, it spread with every tremble she shook. She could not go. She knew she couldn't. Her breathing came fast as her pulse raced, beating to the rhythm of fear in her heart. Like a great black monster, fear dragged her down into a sea of despair. But her father pulled her out.

"Seraphine,"

She heard his voice break through the darkness like a lighthouse. She opened her eyes to find her father holding her shoulders and looking into her face.

"You must be brave, sweetheart."

"But I'm scared." She protested. Tears flowed down her cheeks.

"I know, but you can't let that stop you. Don't let it stop you."

She gazed into her father's eyes. They were stern, but loving.

"When I found out I was going to be father, I was afraid." He said. "I was so afraid that I would fail you. But I never ran from that fear. I faced it. And now, when I see my beautiful baby girl standing in front of me, I know that I did a good job, and I never regret overcoming that fear."

He wiped her tears away. "Now, face your fears, Seraphine. Don't run. Face them."

His words gave her courage. They sparked a fire in her heart. The sick feeling shrank into nothingness. Her anxiety remained, but instead of spreading, it was held in the capable hands of boldness. _He fought his fears for me. It's my turn to fight my fears now._

Inhaling and exhaling deeply, she turned and walked to the portal. She pulled her luggage to her side and gazed into the swirling gateway. Filling her lungs with air, she stepped in, dragging her luggage with her. Light flashed in her eyes. Something squeezed her lungs, forcing the air out of them. She gasped as weightlessness surrounded her body. The light faded and her eyes met with a sight more beautiful than all the books she had ever read. Swirls and twirls of light streamed around her. Colors of indigo and magenta streaked across the walls of the translucent tunnel. The tunnel itself glowed purple and yellow beams of light pulsed through it like rays of the sun.

"Oh, wow…" her voice sounded like it was spoken in an empty cave.

"Better than your imagination?" Her mother said next to her.

"Way better."

"We're all here." Alex said. The portal behind them closed.

"Alright. Where to first?" Lizbeth asked.

When she barely finished her question, Bran blurted out:

"Red Fountain!"

"Hahaha, Red fountain it is."

The tunnel warped and glowed. Seraphine felt a force pull her through it. She surroundings melted into a blur as she, Bran, and their mothers sped through the tunnel. A sound hummed in her ears like the speed of sound. Her hair was thrown back and she clung to her hovering luggage as they swirled through the gateway. She could hardly breathe as the atmosphere shrank and then—A brilliant light blinded her eyes as the force suddenly let go. The weightless feeling vanished and she felt the familiar pull of gravity yank her down.

"Whoa!" She landed on something soft.

"Oh!" Bran's cry of pain came from under her.

She opened her eyes. Her mother stood above her, with her wings folding under the sun. Seraphine blinked repeatedly as her pupils adjusted to the brightness. When they did, she looked around. She was in a lovely grassy field. The air around her was crisp and refreshing. She almost smiled but…

"Geez, Phine, what have you been eating? You're heavy!"

Sera gasped and looked down. She was sitting on top of Bran, who had his face in the grass. Her heart nearly jumped out of her chest.

"Oh!" She scrambled off him with her cheeks flamed red. "Sorry."

The teenager seemed perfectly fine, though, as he lifted himself to his feet and dusted himself off.

"It's cool. I mean, it coulda been worse." He smiled.

Seraphine looked down. _How embarrassing!_

"Take a look." Alex said, pointing to the sky.

Seraphine and Bran looked up.

"Wow…" he breathed with amazement.

"Oh my gosh…"

Their eyes gazed up at Red Fountain. Like a castle in the sky, the vermilion and silver fortress floated high above their heads. Long streams of cerulean water flowed down from its protruding red platforms, creating a mist around and below the school. The sun's light beamed through the glass and made the metal glint silver as the panels beneath the school formed into a strong but delicate point.

"Amazing, isn't it?" Alex said.

"It looks the same, like when we were kids." Lizbeth said.

The two woman smiled as memories flowed through their minds. They had such wonderful times in Magix. It was great to leave Earth for a time and learn about new places, new people, and new powers. In their hearts, they knew that their children would cherish this experience forever.

"Ready to go Bran?" Alex turned to her son.

"Huh?" he broke out of his trance and turned to her. "Oh, yeah!"

He spun around and collected his bags. Anticipation pulsed through him; he could feel his heart pounding in his chest like a drum. He wanted to yell and shout, he wanted to run and flip in the air. He was so full of energy, he couldn't wipe the smile off his face.

Seraphine watched her friend with sad eyes. _He's so excited…How can he be excited about leaving his family? About leaving me?_

Bran walked to his mother, ready to leave when. _Oh, wait!_

He dropped everything and ran to Seraphine. She gasped as he scooped her up into a bear hug. His arms squeezed the air out of her lungs. Taking in a gulp of air, she smiled meekly. After a few seconds, he set her down then hugged her properly, letting her wrap her arms across his back. She buried her face in his chest, cherishing the moment.

"Remember, I'm only a text away." He said quietly in her ear. "If you need a break from all those books, just tell me and I'll come to your rescue."

Seraphine smiled as the image of Bran soaring on a dragon, wearing knight's armor popped into her head. _He'll look so silly in that._

He dug his nose in her hair, breathing in her strawberry scent. Bran knew it was the shampoo, but he still loved it. It reminded him of their friendship, something, he knew he would never let go of.

"Promise?" she whispered to him.

He smiled deeply. "Promise."

The two friends parted ways. Seraphine watched him descend the hill toward the towering school, and Bran looked back to catch a glimpse of her silhouette under the sun. They knew they would see one another again, but neither of them knew when that would be.


	7. Chapter 6: A Tale of Two Schools

**Chapter 6: A Tale of Two Schools**

* * *

><p>Seraphine stepped through the turquoise gateway onto Alfea's college campus. Her eyes scanned the area, carefully studying the simple, yet elegant architecture. The tall, pink towers reminded her of the castles she had read about in books.<p>

_Only they aren't pink. _Her thoughts giggled at the mental image of a pink Gondor in _Lord of Rings_.

The windows were large and translucent, but for some reason she couldn't see through them. She turned and stared up the two larger towers at the front of the school.

_Whoa…_

Both towers had great glass domes at the top. The layer of roofing below the dome was a light teal and it curved around the tower. At the very pinnacle of the dome was a sharp point that streaked into the sky like a skyscraper. The building was so magnificent, Seraphine stood there with amazement. Her heart felt so light, and she forgot all about her worries and fears. The voices she heard, coming from books she could not see, were happy, and joyous, giving her messages of hope and peace.

Seraphine was about to smile when—

"You, there!" A stern, female voice broke through her fantasy.

Seraphine turned. "Huh?"

Her eyes searched for the source of the voice. A tall, thin woman stood over her. Her brown hair was straight and short; it ended at her long, chin. Her eyes were small and on her nose rested a pair of sharp-lensed glasses with teal frames. Her dress was plain, but practical, colored white and teal to match the glasses.

"_Who, _are _you?_" She asked, glaring down at Seraphine.

All of a sudden, the fear, the worries, the anxiety crashed down on Sera. Her heart rushed to her throat. Her mind froze. Her mouth opened, but now words came out; they were lodged in her throat along with her racing heart. She could not breathe as she gazed up at the woman with terror. Thankfully, her mother came to save her skin.

"Oh, Miss, Griselda! This is my daughter, Seraphine."

Seraphine felt her mother's hands cup her shoulders. She felt her body relax; the tension melted away slowly. Meanwhile, Miss Griselda grimaced and flipped through the pages of her clipboard.

"Mm." She grunted. "No, I don't see a Seraphine."

Sera's heart leapt in her chest. She gulped, struggling to fight the urge to release all the emotions locked up within her.

"Lizbeth!" A new, gentler voice entered the conversation.

Seraphine looked beyond Griselda to see another woman. She was not as tall as the first lady, but the aura she gave off radiated not only authority, but also kindness, and peace. Her hair was white and piled over her head. Her violet eyes were soft behind her thin, silver framed glasses. She wore a light purple top and skirt, the latter of which was ruffled in a most elegant way.

"Ms. Faragonda!" Lizbeth stepped around her daughter and hugged the woman.

"It is such a pleasure to see you again." Ms. Faragonda said with a smile. "You're all grown up."

"Yes, and…"

The two woman turned look Seraphine.

Faragonda gasped. "And is this your daughter?"

"Yes, Seraphine, say hello."

Seraphine blushed under the three sets of eyes that stared down at her. She still could not talk, not with that throbbing heart in her throat. She gave Ms. Faragonda a tiny wave as her hair fell on her face, covering her nose and right eye. Embarrassed, she quickly brushed the strands away.

"She's not on my list, Faragonda." Griselda said sourly.

"Try the non-royal list in the 'W' section,"

The stern woman frowned and flipped through the list again. "Ah, yes. A Seraphine Walker."

Seraphine nodded as Griselda looked at her. "Yes, ma'am."

"Very well. You will be with Jayden Hunt and Lorelei Scott in apartment E."

"I'll lead the way." Ms. Faragonda said with a smile. "Come along."

Lizbeth gestured to Sera as she followed the woman to the building off to Sera's right. Nervously, Seraphine smiled at Griselda then jogged after her mother, dragging her luggage behind her. Griselda's voice tore through the atmosphere behind her, making her jump. She glanced over her shoulder to find her scolding two girls on a balcony who had presumably dumped water on a passerby below. Seraphine gulped quickly caught up to her mother and Ms. Faragonda.

"I think she'll love it here." Ms. Faragonda said.

"I think so too. I'm glad she chose my old school." Lizbeth answered.

"Yes, so what abilities does she have?"

"Mine, actually."

"Ah, hereditary powers. Don't you find that strange?"

"Oh, I don't find it strange at all. She's always loved to read, so the powers came quite naturally."

"I see."

Seraphine turned her attention away from their conversation and looked around. The halls had vaulted ceilings that towered high above her head. On her left were long elegant windows that let in rays of sunlight. On the other side was a wall that held painting of places she had seen before in books. Their frames were gold and swirled at the corners like vines.

"This way." Faragonda's voice entered her ears. She followed them round a corner and up a stairwell.

"I've seen a few students, Ms. Faragonda. Have some arrived early?" Lizbeth asked.

"Yes, but some of them have been here all summer."

"Really?"

"Oh yes, we just recently started a summer program to go over the basics. Alfea, Red Fountain, and Cloud Tower have all been trying it out."

"It is working?"

"Oh yes, very much so."

They came to a hallway and walked down a ways. Seraphine glanced around as girls popped in and out of doors. They all looked so different from people on Earth, and yet they were not very different. They wore clothes that looked completely normal. Most of them looked completely human, except for the few that had marks on their bodies. Those markings reminded her of the different races in sci-fi movies.

"Here we are." Faragonda turned to her and smiled. Lizbeth and Seraphine stopped as the woman knocked on a pair of doors off to Sera's right.

They swung open to reveal a familiar face. Seraphine's eyebrows rose.

_Wait, she's one of those fairies! _Sera thought. However, the girl lacked her wings and metallic outfit. Instead, she was completely normal, wearing a pair of black pants and a gray t-shirt. The only color on her was that of her blonde hair; even her eyes were gray.

"Headmistress." The girl said like a soldier in the army.

"Lorelei, You and Jayden have a new roommate in your apartment."

Lorelei turned her eyes to Seraphine. "Oh, it's you." She said unenthusiastically.

"Oh, you've met her?"

"Her house was the one the dragon trashed. Come on in." Lorelei stepped back and the females entered the main room. Clothes and candy wrappers littered the floor and furniture. A set of black sofas stood off to the right of the door. Beyond them was an open doorway to another room. To the left of that was a pair of computers and a table that had tall chairs. On the left half of the room were two more doorways that led to more rooms, both of which were empty.

"It's a mess. It's Jayden's turn to clean but she's in the shower." Lorelei said bluntly.

"Looks like your room, Sera. I think you'll be quite at home here." Lizbeth said, kicking a gum wrapper away from her foot.

Seraphine blushed. "Mom!" She hissed. "Not in front of the headmistress!"

"Oh," Lizbeth giggles. "I'm sorry."

Faragonda smiled. "I trust that you will be comfortable in this room, Sera?"

"Yes, Headmistress Faragonda."

"Excellent. I shall leave to let you become acquainted with your roommates." The woman slipped out, shutting the double doors behind her.

"I'll get Jayden." Lorelei said, disappearing into the room beyond the couches.

Seraphine looked around again, trying to get her mind off the sick feeling in her stomach. The room was nice and spacious. In fact, it was twice as large as her room back home. Her heart ached upon her thought of home.

_Home…boy, this sure isn't like home at all._

Lizbeth studied her daughter's movements. They were agitated and uncomfortable. Her face was worried and her mouth was shut tight in a half frown. She let out a sigh.

"Well, I guess I better get going."

Seraphine's heart skipped a beat. "Already?"

"Yes, you'll be fine, now, okay?"

"Okay." Seraphine looked down, trying to swallow the urge to cry.

_This is it then, once she leaves, I can't go back home._

"Oh, sweetheart."

They hugged, and Seraphine clung to her mom. Her heart ached against her ribs as tears flowed down her cheeks. She breathed in her mother's scent, letting memories of their time together flash across her mind's eye.

"I love you, mom."

"I love you, my baby."

Lizbeth kissed the top of her daughter's head. "Goodbye."

"Bye."

They parted, and Sera watched her mother leave. She felt like part of her left with her.

* * *

><p>Bran stood in the elevator with his mother at it zoomed upward. The glass walls revealed layers upon layers of the school. He stared out with anticipation, catching a glimpse of what looked like a jet hanger.<p>

"Excited?" Alex asked her son, seeing the wonder in his eyes.

"You bet!"

She laughed. She was glad to see him excited for something. For the past year, it had been so hard for her to get him to be social. Now, she was hoping this would be the perfect opportunity for him to make friends.

The elevator slowed to a stop, bringing them to what looked like one of the highest floors.

"I've arranged a meeting with the head master." Alex told Bran as they exited the elevator.

"Seriously?"

"Yes, I thought it would be the best way for you to start off."

Bran gulped. "If you say so."

_I don't like this._

He followed his mother down a stretch of halls until they came to a set of double doors. Although they were average in size, they were quite magnificent. They were etched with gold trim, and the handles, also gold, were intricately molded into Chinese dragons.

_Whoa…_

Bran stared at the handles as his mother knocked on the doors. Much to his surprise, they flew open. A burly man stood just a few inches above him. His shoulders were broad and muscular, his tight outfit exposed his great arms. His chiseled face sported a brown mustache, sideburns, and goatee. Bran gulped as his heart dropped to his stomach.

_He's the head master?!_

"Codatorta, I'm Alexandra, this is my son Bran. We're here for the appointment with Saladin."

"Right," the man stepped aside.

Bran followed his mother inside the green walled office.

"Who the heck was that?!" he whispered to his mom.

All she did was smile. "That's the head of discipline."

Bran swallowed hard and slow. He glanced over his shoulder to look at the man again. _Geez, I'd hate to see what the discipline's like._

He looked ahead again to behold a small man behind a large desk. The sight was so strange, Bran almost laughed. He did not though, because even though the man was small, he had an air of authority about him. His long white beard flowed like a cloud of wisdom. His eyes were sharp, but they were hinted with kindness. In his right hand he held a golden staff that swirled at the top into a dragon head. Within its open mouth, it gripped a purple jewel in its teeth.

"Greetings, I am Head Master Saladin." He stepped away from the desk and made his way toward them. He was a bit more than half of Bran's height, which surprised the teen, since he had to look down at the head master.

"Hello, I am Alexandra, and this is my son Bran."

The man walked up to him. "Greetings, Bran of Earth." He shook his hand.

"Uh, hi."

"Receiving students from such a less than magical dimension is quite a rare thing. I am pleased to have you attend Red Fountain,"

"Thank you, sir. I am anxious to get started." Bran swallowed his urge to jump up and down with glee. On the inside, his heart was pounding; his mind was racing. Adrenaline rushed through his blood with anticipation.

_Oh, man, this going to be awesome!_

"So I've noticed." Saladin chuckled. "You've got that fire in your eye. Haha, I like you already. Come, follow me, I have chosen a special squad for you, my boy."

_Special?_ The word flashed through his head a thousand times in a single second. He imagined that he would be with the best, the strongest, top of the class. _Sounds great to me!_

Bran stayed hot on Saladin's heels as they traced back to the elevator. Codatorta came along too; the gruff man seemed to have a frown engraved on his square face.

_Talk about being uptight. No wonder they put him in charge of discipline._

"This squad is fairly new. They participated in our summer training program. In my opinion, they're one of the best around." Saladin rambled.

"Really?" His mother sounded amazed.

"Right, if they'd listen to orders." Codatorta grumbled.

_Rule breakers, huh? Sounds like my kind of team._

The elevator stopped a several floors down, and they entered a long hallway. The metal floor contrasted with orange and green walls. Lights embedded into the ceiling glowed white, illuminating the way. Teenaged boys walked passed them. Some of them wore the uniform that Bran recognized, but some were in casual clothes. Regardless of what they wore, they all rushed passed them.

_Probably don't want to be late for class._ But a second glance at Codatorta told him that the boys were all reacting to his presence. Every time a young man laid eyes on the dean, he immediately picked up the pace.

"We have a strict schedule here." The dean said. His eyes scanned the hall with great scrutiny. "Exercise starts at 7 am sharp. Breakfast is at 8:30. Dragon taming is at 9. Lunch is at 12. Sword training is at 12:30. Educational classes start 3 and end at 6. Dinner is at 6:30. The hours between 7 and 10 are for your leisure unless your squad leader says otherwise. Bedtime is at 10 sharp."

Bran, wide eyed, turned to his mother. All she did was raise her eyebrows and give him that "You hear him" look. Bran looked away.

_Sheesh, I might as well have joined the army._

"You will obey and submit to all authority including that of your squad leader." Codatorta was about to finish when Saladin brought them to a stop.

"Yes, yes, thank you Codatorta, but we don't want to scare Bran before he starts here. His fellow specialists will fill him in on the rest."

Codatorta nodded and walked back the way he came. Young man scrambled in and out of doors, rushed to and fro the hall, all to avoid the dean's disapproval. Bran gulped.

_Man…I'm sure glad my dad isn't like that._

"Now, Bran. We have come to your squad's apartment." Saladin said, pointing his staff at the door off to Bran's right.

"Go knock." Alex hissed in her son's ear. She shoved him forward.

_Okay, okay!_ Bran regained his footing and tapped his knuckles against the metal door.

"Coming!" a voice came from the other side. _Crash! Thud! Bang! Clang! Thunk! Clatter!_

Bran glanced at the adults with him. Alex had worry written all over her face, but Saladin just smiled, completely unaffected by the racket. Finally, after a list of onomatopoeias sounded off in the room, the door slid open. A brown haired young man stood a head shorter than Bran; he lifted his face. Bran recognized him as the kid named Wayne.

"Whoa, you're tall." Wayne said. It took him a moment to process the visage before him but when he did… "Hey! You made it!"

Immediately, Wayne grabbed Bran's right hand gave him a vigorous shake.

_Yikes!_ Bran thought as he struggled to keep his footing.

"Great to see ya! Come on in! Oh that must be your mom. Sorry, the room's a mess, but you can come in. Oh, hi, Saladin. _Saladin!"_ Wayne nearly jumped out of his graphic tee. He rushed to bow to the Head Master. "I'm so sorry, sir! I didn't know you were there! Honest, I didn't"

Bran watched as the young man bowed repeatedly before Saladin. The old man just shook his head and chuckled.

"Wayne, it's quite alright. People don't usually spot me in a crowd anyway."

_'__Cause he's short._ Bran stifled a laugh.

"Now, this young man is Bran. This is his mother, Alexandra."

Wayne stood upright and shook their hands. "Uh, greetings, hello. It really is great to have your son here. I'm sure he'll do great…at least I think he will. Maybe? I don't know."

"Wayne, take them inside." Saladin pointed with his staff.

"Oh! Right! I'm so sorry!"

Bran snickered as he and Alex followed Wayne into the room. The place really was an unholy mess. Everything from shoes, clothes, food wrappers and electronics littered the ground, desks, beds, and chairs.

_Geez, looks just like home._

"Oh my goodness." He heard his mother whisper with shock.

"Sorry, I haven't had time to cleeeeean!" Wayne's foot caught on a shoe and he collided face first with the floor.

"Oh!" Alex cried.

_Whoa!_ Bran bolted forward to help him up. He danced his way over the junk to Wayne.

"You alright?"

"Yeah, ehehe. It's normal for me to be so clumsy."

Bran rolled his eyes. _Sounds like someone else I know. _Seraphine popped into his head for a split second.

"I trust that you will be comfortable here, Bran?" Saladin said, standing at the door.

Bran was glad he didn't come in.

_Good thing too; I don't want the old man doing one of Sera's numbers._

"Yes sir."

"Excellent. I shall take my leave."

"Master Saladin, may I go with you?" Alexandra said.

"Of course. I'll wait out here until you have bid your son goodbye."

"Thank you."

The door slid shut as Alex turned to her son. She was smiling, but Bran saw the tears in her eyes.

"Mom—" He began, but she cut him off by hugging him. He embraced her.

"Be careful, Bran."

"I will, I promise." He tucked her head under his chin and swayed slowly as he held her. His heart was sad, but he knew this was for the better.

"I love you, Bran."

"I love you mom. I love you so much. Never forget that, okay?"

She pulled away, sniffing. "I won't dear, I promise."

Bran wiped her tears away and smiled. "Be strong for me. I'll be home before you know it."

She blinked back the water in her eyes and nodded.

"I'll make you proud." He placed a gentle kiss on her forehead.

"I know you will. Goodbye, son." She kissed his cheek and let him see her out.

Bran watched her walk down the hall beside the old man. He was happy to be at Red Fountain, really he was, but something inside him kept him longing to be home. His heart sank slightly as memories of home filled his mind.

_No, I need to focus on the here and now._

He pushed away the thoughts and reentered the room. The door hissed as it shut.

He was surprised to find Wayne standing among the mess, looking blue.

"Uh…hey, you alright?" Bran asked him.

Wayne cleared his throat and started picking up brightly colored wrappers off the floor. "Um, yeah, I'm fine, I guess."

"Need a hand?"

"Uh, sure. I mean only if you want to. It's not like it's your mess." Wayne laughed nervously.

"Nah, it's cool." The dark haired teen said, setting his bags aside to help clean.

* * *

><p>Lorelei slipped through her and Jayden's bedroom to the restroom door. She tapped her knuckles on it.<p>

"Jay!"

"What?! I'm not done yet!"

"I know, but we got a new roommate."

"For real?!"

"For real. Hurry up, you're taking too long. You gotta come say hi."

Lorelei stood at the door, hearing all the sounds coming from inside the room. The rushing water stopped, and Jayden's murmurings echoed off the walls. The blond rolled her eyes.

_Never stops complaining._

Lorelei leaned against the door frame.

_Wonder how she'll react when she finds out it's that one girl._

The door opened, releasing a fog of hot steam. Out of it emerged Jayden. Her wet curls flowed down to her ankles. She wore a yellow green shirt and a pair of yellow pants.

"You look bright." Lorelei commented.

"Shut up. Where is she?"

"In the main room. Come on."

The two girls walked back to the center room to find the new roommate hugging her mother. The sight touched Jayden's heart, but not in the nice way; it stung. She quickly looked away, ignoring the memories of her own mother. She never liked her mother very much; all the woman ever did was bark orders. She would force Jayden to take care of her brothers and sisters, and when she was old enough to go out to sea, her mother sent her out on the fishing trips with her father. The only things Jayden recalled of her mother was her nitpicking.

_Who needs a mom, anyway?_

When they parted, she looked back to study the girl. Her hair was long, but not as long as Jayden's; it only went past her waist. It was dark brown and wavy. She wore a solid red long sleeve and jean skirt. Her legs had white tights and she wore black sneakers.

_Glad to see she ain't materialistic. _Jayden thought. _I hate 'princesses'._

Jayden noticed that girl actually looked very much like her mother, only the woman's hair was curlier and shorter.

_Apple doesn't fall to far from the tree, I guess._

As soon as the mother left, Jayden said:

"Well that was touching."

The girl gasped and brushed away her tears.

_Seriously? Dang, what a sap._

"Um, sorry." The girl turned. Jayden recognized her immediately.

"Oh, it's you; the girl who was mad about being a fairy."

A look of bewilderment flashed across the girl's face.

"Um, I wasn't mad about that." She countered defensively.

_Geez, way shut me out._

"Whatever, what's your name again?"

"Seraphine."

"Weird name."

"Actually, it come from a word called seraphim, which is an angel."

_Oh no, she's a nerd. Better butt in before she rattles our ears off._

"Uh, ok, well, listen: I'm Jayden."

"I know; I recognize your face."

"Those rooms behind you are empty. Pick which one you want and which bed you wanna sleep in, okay?"

"Okay."

"Great." Jayden plopped down on the couch with Lorelei. "We'll be here if you need us."

Seraphine walked into the room farthest to her right. She found two beds present. One was on raised part of the room to her right. The other was in front of her, against the farthest wall.

_This one looks good._ She thought, leaning her luggage against it.

As she started to unpack, she listened to Jayden and Lorelei's conversation.

"What do you think?" Lorelei said.

"Goody two shoes." Jayden answered.

"Yup. Guess Faragonda wants to keep us on check."

"Don't worry about it. I'll give her a week before she goes home."

"More like three days. She won't last the first day of school."

Seraphine felt her chest grow hot with anger. _They don't even know me!_ _Just they wait, I'm gonna prove them wrong! I'm gonna stick to this and be the best fairy I can be!_

* * *

><p>Bran sighed with relief and threw himself on his new bed. He looked over to his right, where another bed stood. Unlike how the dorm <em>used <em>to be, that bed was neatly arranged.

"Who's is that?" Bran asked Wayne.

The teenager came in with a pad of sorts. It reminded Bran of his tablet.

"That's Matt's."

"That orange-haired guy that bosses you around, right?"

"Uh, yeah, that guy."

"Why does he act like that?"

"Um…'cause he's a prince I guess."

"Seriously?!"

"Seriously. What? You don't have princes on Earth?"

"We do, but I didn't think princes needed to attend Red Fountain."

"They don't have to, but in his family, it's a tradition. His father attended here, and his brother graduated just last year. See?"

Wayne held out the device to Bran. On the screen was a picture of a king and queen. The king had blonde hair and blue eyes, his wife had long red hair and turquoise eyes. Three children stood in front of them. The oldest had short hair like his father, but its color was red like his mother's. To the far right, in front of the mother was a girl who appeared to be in her tweens. Her long hair resembled her mother's but it was yellow, like the king's. In the middle of them stood a familiar face; Matthew's. His hair color and style was a blend of both parents'; it was orange and at medium length. His scowl showed that he wasn't happy about taking the picture.

"Geez, is he always like that?"

"_Always."_

The hiss of the main door told them someone entered the room.

"Yo, Wayne!" a familiar voice came to Bran's ears.

"In here, Pierce!"

The dark-haired teen came in with Matthew right behind him.

"What are you doing in my room?" The prince demanded.

Bran felt his defenses go up in a flash. He didn't like the tone the prince had used, nor did he like the aura he was giving off.

Wayne immediately cringed. "Uh—actually—well—you see—you have a new roommate!"

Bran brushed aside Wayne's pointing finger and stood. "Bran." He held out his hand to the prince.

All Matthew did was stare at him. Tension tightened in air like a knot. Bran felt the prince's cold eyes burrow into his defenses, but he was determined to keep them up. His hand fell to his side.

"What's the matter? They don't do handshakes on your planet?"

"Not exactly. What are you doing here, Earthling?"

Bran almost laughed; how fitting that he call him that.

"Same reason as you, to make my family proud."

"My family is already proud. It's my father that has yet to be pleased."

"Still sounds like the same reason to me."

Matthew turned away to look at Wayne. "_This _is supposed to replace Jasper?"

"Uh, well, I honestly dunno, I mean, Saladin brought him here."

"Saladin, huh? You must be mighty important on Earth." Pierce said with a grin.

"Nah, my mom just made an appointment."

"Either way, welcome to Red Fountain." Pierce said, putting out a hand, Bran shook it.

"Thanks."

"Enough. Down to business, rookie." Matthew said, shoving his nose into the air.

Bran realized that the prince was only an inch shorter than he was.

"Listen up, and listen good. This squad has its own schedule. Wake up time is 5:30 am. Exercise starts at 6:00, then breakfast is at 8:30. Dragon taming at 9. Lunch at 12 and swordsmanship at 12:30. Classes are from 3 to 6. Dinner at 6:30. Additional training is at 7 to 9:30. Bedtime is at 10."

"Wait a minute, 7 to 10 is freetime."

"Unless the squad leader says otherwise, and that's me."

"What?"

"That's right, I'm the squad leader. From now on, you'll be taking orders from me. Got a problem with that?"

Bran glared back. "I might."

"Then take it up with Saladin. I wouldn't be surprised if you being here is a mistake."

"Matt, its almost 12." Pierce said.

"Shut up, I'm not done with him yet. Listen, Earthling, bedtime is at 10 sharp. If you aren't in the room by then, you're gonna be needing another place to sleep, got it?"

"Got it."

"Good. You miss the cut off, you better be back here at 6 the next morning 'cause I'm gonna work you twice as hard."

"Little exercise don't sound scary to me."

"Tough guy, huh? We'll see how long you last before I break you. Let's roll out."

The prince strode out of the room with Pierce right behind him.

Bran let his eyes follow him with disgust. Wayne came up to him, shaking in his sneakers.

"You know, you really shouldn't challenge him like that. He's got a _bad_ temper."

"Well so do I, let's see how he goes toe-to-toe with that."

"I don't wanna see."

"Know where the cafeteria is?"

"Uh, yeah."

"Let's go eat, I'm following you."

"Uh, right, this way."


	8. Chapter 7: Witches

**Chapter 7: Witches **

* * *

><p>Seraphine finished putting her clothes into the wardrobe near her bed. Unlike the main room, which had black and gray furniture, this room had vibrant colors. The bed's blanket was pink, its frame was sky blue. The wardrobe was violet; its handles were gold. Shelves that lined the walls were yellow green and cherry red. A bookcase near the window was fuchsia pink. A few books lay there. Their voices told her that they contained knowledge about Magix. Curious, she walked over and picked one up. The title's silver letters read <em>Locations and Events of Magix.<em>

"Sounds interesting." She was about to open it when a knock came from behind her.

Jumping, she set the book down and spun around. Jayden stood in the doorway, looking surprised.

"Sheesh, aren't you jumpy?"

Sera felt her cheeks grow hot. "Sorry."

"We were just about to head down into Magix to do some shopping. Wanna come?"

"Um…I only have Earth money."

"Don't worry. We'll get it exchanged for the right cash. Come on."

_This is weird. One moment they're talking behind my back and now they want to take me shopping? There's gotta be a catch._

"Uh, no thanks, I'm good."

"No roommate of mine is about to be a hermit." Jayden said, coming up to her. She grabbed Sera's hand and dragged her away. "Let's go."

"W-wait!' Seraphine stumbled after her.

The two girls dragged her outside and through the main gate. There, they stopped and scanned the sky. Seraphine studied the plain of crisp emerald green grass and the tall dark trees that towered in the distance.

"What's that?" she asked.

"The dark forest." Lorelei said.

"Don't go in there, you'll get lost forever." Jayden added.

Seraphine gasped. _Like the enchanted forests in my books. People go in but never come out._

All of a sudden, a howling wind blew her hair in a million directions as a flying ship landed in front of them. She gasped, rearranging her tussled stands. Jayden and Lorelei immediately stepped toward it. A door at its side slid open.

"Come on," Jayden said.

Seraphine ran after them. Her eyes caught the words that were printed on the side of the ship: _Magix Transit_.

_Oh, they have buses here too?_

Just as she stepped inside the orange and blue bus, it jerked into the air. She yelped as she caught herself with a rail. Everyone who could see her stared. Gulping, she blushed, and made cautious steps to where her roommates were sitting.

"You didn't wait for me."

"Didn't have time to." Lorelei said. She dug a hand into her jacket's pocket and pulling out a lollipop. Ripping off the wrapper, she popped the brown candy into her mouth.

Seraphine raised her eyebrows as she gripped the sides of her seat.

"Um, is it safe to eat that here? I mean, we _are _on a flying bus."

"Course it's safe." Lorelei said, rolling it with her tongue.

"Never been on a flying ship, huh?" Jayden jutted her chin at Sera.

Seraphine tightened up as the ship jerked and rattled. "Uh, n-no. Never." She could feel her stomach churn about like butter.

_I'm so glad breakfast is long gone._ She thought as an image of her throwing up came into her mind. She pushed it away.

"Thought so. You look like you're about to die." Jayden laughed.

Seraphine gave her a scowl and looked out the window. She could see the road curl below her like a gray snake. The trees looked so small and blurry from this height. Their green gray color remind her of the elves' clothing. _I wonder if there are elves here in Magix._

She continued to watch as the environment changed. The trees gave way to a larger road that straightened out. Then, the trees disappeared completely to show a small plain before the city began. Brightly colored buildings rose from the ground like stalactites. Cars zoomed alongside the bus as it flew. Seraphine stared with amazement.

_Wow! This is just like in my sci fi books!_

"Ha, you look like a little kid." Jayden's voice came into her ears.

Seraphine rushed back to reality. She turned to face the girls. Jayden was smirking at her. Lorelei seemed consumed with her lollipop.

"They don't have these on Earth. Only in books." Sera said, shifting uncomfortably in her seat.

"Sucks for you." Lorelei replied callously.

Seraphine rolled her eyes. She turned to face the window when the bus suddenly lurched to a stop. She gasped as she pressed her back against the seat and clung to the sides of her chair. Jayden and Lorelei immediately sprung to their feet and headed off the bus.

"Come on!" Jayden called.

"W-wait!"

Seraphine leapt out of her seat and stumbled after them. She hopped off the bus and landed on the ground. A great wind wiped behind her as the vehicle zoomed away, tossing her hair over her shoulders. When it faded, she readjusted her strands.

"Yikes…"

"Finished recovering?" Jayden asked wearing a scowl.

"Um…I guess."

"Then, come on, let's go exchange your money."

As they walked down the sidewalk, Seraphine gazed up at the buildings that towered high above her head. She felt like she was in a science fiction movie. Cars zoomed through the air. The skyscrapers were different shapes and colors. The entire city hummed with energy and excitement. Seraphine gushed with this excitement.

"This is so awesome!" She squealed, spinning around to see all around her. The streets were paved and covered with hover cars. Plants dotted the walkway, giving a nostalgic feel to the urban surroundings.

"Hey!" Jayden's voice called her back to reality.

Seraphine stumbled to a stop and turned to the two girls.

"Stay with us." Jayden said.

"Don't want you to get lost." Lorelei added.

"Oh…okay." Seraphine gulped at the realization that she _was_ in a strange city.

About a half hour later, the girls came strolling out of the Currency exchange station.

"Nothing to it." Lorelei said.

"How the heck did you get all that cash?" Jayden jutted her chin at Sera.

"My parents. My dad insisted on me taking as much as I could." The brown haired girl answered, shouldering her backpack.

"Yippy." Lorelei murmured, pulling a bubblegum from her pocket. (She had finished her lollipop fifteen minutes ago.) She tore off the wrapper and tossed the blue candy into her mouth.

"Well, I guess you'll like to go shopping now, huh?" Jayden said.

"I guess. Are you going to shop?" Seraphine looked from one girl to the other.

"Duh, that's why we're out here."

"Oh…"

"Come on."

The two girls turned on their heels and strolled down the walkway like they were on a mission. Seraphine jogged after them.

"Um, can we go some place cheap?"

"Why?" _Pop!_

"I don't want to spend all my money on clothes."

Jayden felt a laugh tickle the back of her throat. _For real?_

"For real?" _Pop!_

Seraphine seemed to shrink. "Um…yes?"

"Well, it's your dress not mine." Jayden said, walking away with Lorelei.

"Dress?" Seraphine jogged after them...again. She managed to squeeze between them. "What do you mean _dress_?"

"The annual gala for freshmen students is three days away. We're going shopping for our dresses _before_ that day so we can be ready." Jayden explained.

Lorelei turned and popped her bubble in Sera's face. Sera flinched.

"Got a problem with that, goody-goody?"

"No…"

"Good." The blonde-haired girl faced the walkway again. _Pop!_

"Do we have to go?"

"No, but the boys from Red Fountain will be there." Jayden said with a wink.

"Really?" Seraphine suddenly realized that she could see Bran.

"Yeeup."

"And the witches from Cloud Tower." _Pop!_

Seraphine stopped as the image of a green-faced, big-nosed pointed-hatted hag came into her mind.

"W-witches?"

The girls stopped and looked at her.

"There are witches in Magix?"

"_Duh_, where've been all your life? Under a rock?"

"_No_. I've been on Earth."

"Might as well be a rock." _Pop!_

"Look, if there are fairies, of course there are going to be witches."

"And dragons," _Pop!_ "And elves," _Pop!_ "And pixies and wizards," _Pop!_

"Really?!" Seraphine gushed with happiness.

"And goblins!" Jayden yelled in her face.

Seraphine cringed.

"There's as much bad as there is good, girlfriend."

"_Deal with it._" _ Pop!_

"Yikes…"

"Yeeup. Now let's go shopping."

Down the sidewalk, Seraphine followed her roommates. Her eyes wandered to gaze at people's clothing. Most were normal, but there was the occasional passerby that looked like they came out of a movie. One wore a full body suit that had lines in its design as if electricity was flowing through it.

"Don't stare, its rude." Lorelei said to her.

Seraphine quickly turned away and followed them as they entered a shop that was painted pink and yellow. The mannequins at the front displayed lovely lacy dresses and long elegant gowns. The clothes that hung from the walls and stands came in different colors; from soft and exotic to neon and dark neutrals. There were even some dresses that were metallic.

Lorelei immediately headed toward the metal-looking ones while Jayden went straight to the neon. Seraphine just stood there, feeling both nervous and self-conscious. She had never gone shopping with her peers before. Usually it was just her and her mother. To push away the awkward feeling, she turned to a rack closest to her. It held white cocktail dress decorated with feathers that looked very much like a peacock's. Gazing at the price, she quickly realized how pricey it was. Shaking her head, she moved onto another rack. This dress was cheaper than the first but was shorter too.

_No wonder it's cheaper, it's missing all that fabric._

She kept going, glancing at dress designs and prices. When she spotted a dress she liked, she was quickly discouraged by the cost. Sighing, she move onto to something else. The dresses that were cheaper lacked design or length. She never liked shorter dresses, even if they were cheap, she'd never buy one. By the time she had looked through the entire store, Jayden and Lorelei had already tried on several gowns. They came to her when they had made their choices.

"Find anything?" Jayden asked. She carried a neon green strapless dress.

"No, all the cheap ones are too short."

"You're just picky." _Pop!_ Lorelei had a silver gown hanging over her left shoulder.

"We're gonna go pay and we'll take you to another store."

The two girls left to the cash register at the back of the boutique. Feeling discouraged, Seraphine exited the shop. When she stepped out, she looked at the sky. Even though the buildings were tall, they did not block out the lovely stretch of blue. Large puffy white clouds floated by, reminding her of home. She was about to smile when something bumped her from her behind. Gasping, she threw out her hands as the sidewalk rushed to meet her. She landed on her hands and knees. Her palms burned with pain as she winced.

"Ow…"

"Stupid fairy!" A loud female voice came from above her. "Why don't you watch where you're going?!"

Seraphine's eyes flew open. She glanced over her shoulder. A group of girls stood above her. The one at the center, clearly the one who had bumped her, had long cobalt hair that was pulled back away from her face with a black and white headband. Her blazer was torn at the edges and lacked sleeves. Her tank top had a giant silver skull on it. Her pants were as torn as her jacket; underneath them she wore purple tights. Her knee-high boots were made of black leather and had several buckles that ran down to her ankles. The heels of the boots looked like giant knives stabbing the pavement. The other girls looked similar to her, each with their own touch.

Seraphine gulped. _Man, why is it always me?_

"Fairies know better than to mess with witches. _Especially _when they're _all alone_." The girl leaned down to glare at her.

_They're witches? They don't look that bad. Except for the make up, of course. Seriously, why do they pack it on?_

"She ain't alone." Jayden's voice came from shop.

Seraphine and the witches all turned their attention to the two girls that stood outside the boutique's double doors.

"Back off, Cadette." Lorelei told the blue-haired girl.

"Lorelei," Cadette crossed her arms in front of her chest. "Long time no see, traitor."

Lorelei stepped over to her. "Shut up."

"I guess you really are a goody-two-shoes at heart, aren't cha?"

"Fairies can be as tough as witches."

"Prove it."

Seraphine, from a worm's eye view, gulped. She didn't want to be in the middle of a confrontation, especially not one that she had accidentally caused.

_Oh, geez, I gotta get outta here!_

She looked around for a way to escape. Then, her eyes met with Jayden's eyes. The girl motioned Sera with her eyes to run off to the right, down the sidewalk. Much to Seraphine's surprise, she understood the message and quickly got off the ground. She broke off into a run down the street.

"Hey!" Cadette yelled.

Lorelei and Jayden bolted after their new roommate. The witches followed close behind. The two fairies caught up to Sera in no time, and the three of them raced over the pavement at a steady sprint.

"You know them?!" Sera yelled at Lorelei.

"Cadette's my old roommate from Cloud Tower!"

"You're a _witch?!_"

"I_ was!_"

The three girls broke formation for a moment as they swerved through a crowd of people. The sudden traffic slowed the witches down enough to give the fairies some breathing room. Seraphine felt her chest tighten and her lungs started to burn. She wasn't used to racing down a street at top speed. Running marathons wasn't her thing.

Gasping, she asked Lorelei a question.

"So, you're a…fairy now?"

"Yes!"

"What made you change your mind?"

"That one on your left!"

Seraphine turned to Jayden.

"You?!"

"Don't sound so surprised!"

"I don't get it!"

"We met during the summer training." Lorelei explained.

"Yeah, along with those boys who burned your house down."

"_All _of you met?"

"Yeeup."

"I wanted to be a witch. About a month within the training, after knowing Jayden for a while, I changed my mind and became a fairy instead!"

Seraphine's body started to ache. Her calves were cramping and her throat was dry as she gulping the air after every stride. The other girls looked completely fine. They showed no signs of weariness. They weren't even sweating yet.

"Turn in there!" Jayden pointed to an opening off to their right.

From behind them, they could hear the witches clamoring after them. The three fairies tore around the corner. They entered a long alley that curved to the left. Their legs carried them down the passage and round the corner to a…

"Dead end!" Lorelei yelled as they all skidded to a stop.

"Wh-what are we going to do?!" Seraphine panted, trying not sound panicked. However, her mind was buzzing with terror.

"We fight!" Jayden said calmly. She turned to Lorelei, who nodded in understanding.

The two girls stood next to one another, posing with legs spread apart and arms crossed. Their index and middle fingers pointed to the sky.

"Magix Winx!" They yelled in unison. A bright white light flooded Seraphine's eyes. She shielded them with her hands until the light faded. She peered through her fingers to see the girls the way she had first seen them. Their clothes glittered like stars, their wings fluttered quickly, lifting them off the ground.

_Wow…_Sera thought as she watched them flitter about in the air like dragonflies.

Jayden turned to her. Her face was serious, but her eyes were lively.

"What are you waiting for? An invitation? Transform!"

Seraphine refocused. "Huh?"

"You're a fairy, transform." Lorelei said, spitting out her gum. It shot into a dumpster.

Seraphine's mind scrambled to understand. Her mother had altered her appearance just like these girls. The same bright light blinded her when Bran's mother changed as well. Both of the women had wings when the light faded. Finally, understanding hit her at the back of the head with a bat.

"Oh!" She gasped. "I can't!"

"Excuse me?" Lorelei said.

Jayden flew down to her. "What do you _mean_ you _can't_?!"

Seraphine shrank. "I can't transform. I don't know how."

"This way!" Cadette's voice bounced off the walls of the alley.

"Oh no…" Seraphine cringed.

Jayden growled with frustration. _Unbelievable! A fairy who can't transform?! _

"Stay behind us!" The dark girl barked, turning back to face the witches.

The group round the corner in the next instant.

_Holy crap!_ Seraphine gulped. Her stomach twisted into a million knots all at once. Fear paralyzed her as the witches all grinned.

"Aww, the fairies are trapped." Cadette laughed. "Not so tough after all, eh, Lorelei."

"You ain't seen nothin' yet!" Jayden yelled. She was raring to go; she could feel the electricity dance in her fists. Her heart was racing with anticipation. She couldn't wait to fight, and that was why she lead them right here. She let a grin pull up the corners of her mouth.

Seraphine saw it. The grin. _She wanted this!_

"You knew this was a dead end?!" Seraphine yelled with anger, close to tears.

Jayden threw her a quick stare. "You betcha."

"What?!" Lorelei yelled as the dark haired girl bolted into the air and toward the witches.

Like a bowling ball, Jayden knocked over the pins. The group of witches collided with the ground. Crossing her arms in front of her, Jayden let the lightning build up around her. The electricity crackled like fire. The tension wrapped around her like a blanket. Then, she threw her hands forward, aiming at the witches below her.

"Jayden! Stop!" Seraphine yelled.

_KKzzap!_

A huge streak of yellow lightning struck the fallen foes, frying their hair and clothes. The witches quickly returned the attack with their own. Orbs of purple and magenta zoomed up at the lightning fairy. Jayden dodged them effortlessly.

"Ha! Is that all you've got?!"

Cadette rose to her feet. Her hair was frizzed up into an afro. Her make-up was burned to a black crisp.

"You're going down, fairy! Hyah!"

She shot out dark blue fireballs from her hands. Seraphine gasped as they flew all over the place. She quickly ducked, not knowing what else to do. Luckily, Lorelei jumped in front of her.

"Armored Shield!" A luminous, silver shield rose in front of them, deflecting the fireballs.

In the air, Jayden effortlessly evaded the attack.

Cadette growled and released another set of fireblasts. Lorelei held the shield up with her flexed arm. The energy from the balls pulsed through the shield, weakening it.

"Can't…hold it…much…longer…" Lorelei grunted.

Seraphine's anger burned in her chest. However, it quickly turned to fear. She had only just arrived in Magix, and she was already in trouble. She did not know what to do. She had no powers; she was helpless. She wanted to cry. She started to tremble, tears rose to her eyes. The world shrunk around her. Her heart ached. Her body ached. Fear and weakness took over, suffocating her under their heavy blankets of hopelessness.

"I didn't want this…" She lamented. "I didn't want…I just want to go home."

"Hey!" Lorelei called her back. "Snap out of it! I need your help!"

Sniffling, Seraphine looked up into Lorelei's silver eyes.

"Got that?! You're not a baby, you're a _fairy_, dang it! Start acting like one!"

Sera gasped as the cold words flushed over like water.

"Wipe that crap off your face and get your butt over here!"

She woke up.

_I'm a fairy…I'm a fairy._

Then, for a moment, she heard her father's voice:

_"__Face your fears."_

"Stand up! Let's go!" Lorelei yelled.

_Face my fears._

Seraphine rose and stood on her own two feet. She took in a deep breath as she wiped her face clean. Then, she stepped toward Lorelei. Another round of fire vibrated against the shield. Lorelei grunted with effort and exhaustion. Sera could see sweat beading down her forehead. Her neck was tight with tension and her arm trembled with whatever strength she had left.

_A shield. I need a shield to help her!_

Her mind scrambled about for ideas. She remembered when she formed that sphere thing to protect her mom. It was like a shield.

_And there were…words in it…Gasp!_

Seraphine pushed out her palms against the surface of Lorelei's shield.

"What are you—?!"

"Shield of Words!" Seraphine yelled. The turquoise shield formed underneath Lorelei's silver one.

"Whoa, how'd you…?"

"I learned it by accident." Seraphine smiled nervously.

Lorelei breathed out a laugh. "Ok, here's the plan. You keep this shield up. Imma help Jayden by putting the extras outta commission. Then, after I grab Cadette, you make a run for it."

"But—"

"Meet us back that the store we just came from, got it?"

Sera gulped. "Got it."

"Good." Lorelei jumped into the fray; her shield vanished.

Seraphine gulped.

_I hope this works._

Meanwhile, up in the air, Jayden flittered about, dodging Cadette's attacks.

_Ha, this a piece of cake!_ She thought as she released a bolt of lightning at the blue haired witch.

Cadette sidestepped in time as the bolt zapped one of her fellow witches.

_Dang it! So close!_ Jayden thought, shifting her position as the other witches shot violet shadow balls at her.

Lorelei made up for the miss. Forming her shield, she pushed the girls down. In a matter of seconds, all the "extras" were out cold. The wind whipped her blonde bangs in the air as she turned to Seraphine.

"Go! Go now!" Lorelei yelled, rushing to grab Cadette.

But the witch was quick; she threw back an arm and shot a fireball at Lorelei. The orb of flame hit its mark, sending Lorelei sailing into the wall of the alley.

"Lorelei!" Jayden screamed.

"I've had enough!" Cadette roared.

Jayden's wings fluttered as she spun around. The witch was racing toward Seraphine. Jayden could see the terror on Sera's face. Then…Jayden's heart almost stopped. She gasped. For a split second, she saw her baby sister's face instead of Sera's. The realization struck Jayden with such power that it brought tears to her eyes. Anger thundered in her heart.

"NO!" Jayden screamed, zooming to save Seraphine.

Seraphine, frozen with fear, watched with horror as Cadette punched her shield with a fist of fire. The words shattered, ripping the barrier apart. The concussive blow knocked Sera to the ground. Her back slid across the cold, dirty floor. Groaning, she rolled to her side. Her head spun as Jayden's voice tore through the air.

"You're fighting _ME!_"

Dazed and seeing stars, Sera caught a glimpse of Jayden gripping Cadette's fiery fists in her electric ones. Then, the most amazing thing happened. Jayden's lightning and Cadette's fire surrounded them completely. The auras clashed and crackled as the girls pushed against one another with their hands locked. Their eyes were fixed, their fists tight, their teeth clenched. Their voices growled with effort, but soon the growls turned to screams as their auras brighten. Gasping, Sera covered her face with her arms as—_Boom!_

Gray smoke enveloped the alley, blowing debris everywhere. After a moment or two, Jayden rose out of it, coughing. She fanned the smoke away as she returned to normal. Her wings and glittering clothes faded. The dust settled as the smoke vanished. A fried Cadette laid on the ground. Jayden sighed and stepped over her.

"Witches…you'd think they'd have learned by now"

Jayden walked to Lorelei, but not after glancing over her shoulder to make sure Sera was alright.

Seraphine lifted her head slowly. The smell of smoke came to her nose. She coughed as she sat up. Her head swirled like soup.

_Whoa…_

She gripped her skull with two hands, trying to regain control.

_I never want to do that again._

"Hey." A voice came from above her.

Still holding her head, Seraphine looked up. Lorelei and Jayden gazed down her. They looked pretty dusty even though they had returned to their normal clothes.

"You alright?" Jayden asked.

"Um…I think so...I feel…dizzy."

Jayden smiled. "That's normal, don't worry."

"It is?"

"That's what happens when your shield is broken." Lorelei stated, rummaging through a jacket pocket. She pulled out a new gum.

"You'll get used to it." Jayden said. "Now let's get outta here before they wake up."


	9. Chapter 8: Punishment

**Chapter 8: Punishment**

* * *

><p>Seraphine walked slowly into the dorm room, anticipating the mess they had left behind. Much to her surprise, the place was spotless.<p>

"Whoa…" Lorelei said.

"Um, do they have maids here?" Seraphine asked, glancing around.

Jayden scoffed. "I wish."

"Hi!" A voice came from the room next to Sera's

All three girls turned to look at their new roommate. Seraphine was actually shocked by her hair. It was white as snow, something Sera had never seen on a person her age. Other than that, she seemed perfectly normal; her eyes were a pretty emerald green and her skin was fair. She wore a powder blue, spaghetti strapped dress and blue violet flats. A huge smile was on her face.

"Oh no…" Sera heard Lorelei murmur under her breathe.

"I'm Kya!" The girl said.

She promptly, vigorously shook Seraphine's hand.

"Um…" Sera struggled to stay standing. "Hi?"

Kya let go of her halfway through the shake and grabbed Jayden's hand. She shook it violently, nearly knocking Jayden off her feet.

"I cleaned up the room! It was an _absolute _mess! My room is _never _this messy!"

She yanked her hand away and squeezed between Jayden and Sera to shake Lorelei's hand. The blonde quickly backed away.

"Don't do hand shakes." She said.

"Oh! Ok! So what are your names?!"

Seraphine rubbed her ears. "Do you have to yell?"

"Oh! Sorry! I mean—sorry. I'm just _so _excited to be here. What are your names again?"

"Jayden."

"Lorelei."

"Seraphine."

"Cool names! They're so long!"

"It's only 7 letters." Lorelei murmured.

"You're yelling again." Seraphine said.

"Sorry! So I moved into that room since the other one is taken."

"There are two beds in each room." Jayden said matter-of-factly.

"I _know_. But I want the next person who comes to have a chance to choose their room too!"

"What about the last person?" Lorelei retorted.

"Oh…well, they'll have to get what's left."

"Obviously." Jayden rolled her eyes.

An awkward silence set in with Kya smiling at her roommates. They looked away, avoiding her uncomfortable stare. Seraphine cleared her throat.

"Um…so, is anyone hungry?"

"Oh! I am!" Kya yelled, raising her hand.

"Oh my gosh." Lorelei muttered, turning away completely.

"Uh, great, let's go." Jayden said, spinning on her heel. She walked to the door.

"Go where?" Seraphine asked.

"To the kitchen, duh." Jayden slipped out.

"Oh! I love cooking!" Kya screamed, running out of the dorm.

Seraphine looked at Lorelei. The blonde had frustration written all over her face.

"Too loud?" Sera asked.

"Too _annoying_." Lorelei answered, tossing another gum in her mouth. She chewed madly, taking out her emotions on the sticky substance to keep from exploding. She nodded to the door and she and Sera left the room.

* * *

><p>Raven brushed a strand of her blue-violet hair away from her face. She sat at a table with her roommates in the main dining area. All of the tables rested on landings that protruded from a huge spiral staircase. That was one thing she liked about Cloud Tower; the structure of the place was so bizarre, it made it stand out from all the other schools in Magix. She lifted her eyes from her bowl of eerie green gelatin and scanned the level she was on. Girls in dark, gothic clothes strolled to and fro, from one level to another. Others sat at tables, eating their lunch. Raven's eyes moved to the giant purple doors off to her right. They swung open and in came a group of toasty witches. Raven felt a grin play with the corner of her mouth.<p>

She turned to the seat on her left, where one of her roommates sat.

"Hey, check out Cadette."

The roommate looked up from her plate; her dirty blond hair swayed with the movement as she looked at Cadette. The blue-haired witch was so fried, her hair stood straight up like a Mohawk. Her black eye liner sprinkled her face in flakes. Her lips were pursed so tightly together, that they were just a little black dot on her face.

"Whoa-ho-ho!" The roommate laughed.

"Ugh, Gail, shut up." The third girl at the table said. She sat across from Raven. Her dark red hair hung down her shoulders to her waist. Her hazel eyes glared at Gail.

"Aw, come on! She looks hilarious!" Gail said between chortles.

"That's anything _but _funny. She's a fashion _disaster_!"

Raven smirked. "Let's go ask her what happened."

"Yeah!" Gail said, stabbing her gelatin with her fork. She shoved a piece in her mouth before rising out of her seat with Raven.

"Ugh, you guys go. I'm not done eating yet." Ignatia scoffed with her chin high in the air. She lifted a spoonful of the green goo to her mouth. Before she could even close her mouth on it, she took it out.

"Eew!" Her face twisted with disgust. "Never mind."

She tossed her spoon back into the bowl and stood. Neatly, like a lady, she folded her napkin and set it on the table. She then crossed her utensils over her bowl.

"There, now let's go."

Raven rolled her eyes. "Right…"

The trio of witches clopped down the stairwell in their sharp heels down to the table where Cadette had planted herself. The scowl on her face was so deep, it looked like it was engraved into her face. Raven swayed her long locks of hair as she approached the table. Whispers filled the stairway as the other witches present turned to see what would happen.

Raven put her hands on the table and leaned against it like a detective ready to interrogate a suspect. She controlled the air around her, the atmosphere of the conversation. She loved feeling in charge, in complete control. The tension around Cadette did nothing to stop her from asking the question.

"Having trouble playing with fire, Cadette?"

"Get lost, Raven." Cadette growled.

"Ya know, Cadette, if you need a fireproof spell, I'm _sure_ Ignatia would _love_ to teach you one."

Gail snickered behind her. Ignatia, on the other hand, scoffed and crossed her arms in front of her chest.

Cadette's countenance darkened. "You idiot. I didn't do this to myself!"

Raven smirked. "Really? That's a surprise."

Cadette's hands balled up into tight fists. They shook and paled with blazing anger.

"If _you_ didn't do it, then who did?" Raven asked, lowering onto her elbows. She angled her face to give Cadette a glare as cold and as cool as ice.

Cadette's eyes looked up past her tightly furrowed brow. The muscles in her neck were so tight, her voice came out dark and low. "_Jayden._"

* * *

><p>Seraphine was surprised by how small the kitchen was. It was only about ten or so feet wide and at most twenty feet long. Two island counters sat in the middle of the room. The cabinets under them were red with white handles and trimming. Half of the counter was occupied by a countertop stove. To the right of the doorway, against the wall, were several ovens and stoves. Above each one was a large metal vent. On the wall left of the doorway was a long countertop. Above and below it were cabinets that matched the island counters. Orange fans whirled slowly on the ceiling. The place was spotlessly clean.<p>

"Um…are you sure we're allowed to cook here?" Seraphine asked, feeling nervous. Cooking was no more her cup of tea than marathons were.

"Duh, it's a _kitchen_." Jayden replied, strolling over to a cupboard on the left. She started rummaging through it.

"We missed lunch." Lorelei said after popping her gum.

Kya suddenly burst. "_You _have _gum?!_ Can I have some?!"

Then, Lorelei did something Seraphine never thought she would do; she freaked.

"_NO!"_

Seraphine nearly jumped out her skin. Her eyes flashed at Lorelei. The blonde's face seemed normal, but her eyes were on fire. The air around her crackled with tension. Sera gulped.

"Um…are you…_okay?_" Sera took a step away from her.

Jayden peeked out from behind the cupboard like a cartoon character.

"She's obsessed with her candy; don't ask her for any. Sera,"

"Hmm?"

"Gimme a hand, will ya?"

Seraphine carefully worked her way out from between the glaring Lorelei and smiling Kya. She was relieved to escape the delicate situation. She quickly walked to Jayden.

"That was scary."

"You'll get used to it." Jayden said, yanking at a huge bag of flour.

_How can anyone get used to _this_?_

"Sera, pay attention!" Jayden suddenly yelled.

Seraphine gasped as she rushed to grab and lift the bag of flour. Her hands gripped the corners and she pulled with all her strength.

"Sera! No!"

_Fwoosh!_ The bag tore, releasing a huge cloud of white flour into the room.

She and Jayden burst into coughs and sneezes as Lorelei and Kya cried out. Silence covered the environment as the cloud settled. It revealed the two girls, white as ghosts. Kya and Lorelei, completely untouched, burst out laughing. Sera grimaced as Jayden groaned.

"That was classic." Lorelei said with a grin.

"Yeah! You should see your faces!" Kya yelled.

Jayden's brow furrowed until…she got an idea. Grabbing a fistful of flour, she hurled it at Kya.

"In _your _face!" The flour powdered Kya's entire visage.

Sera gasped as Lorelei burst into another round of laughs. Kya sputtered like an automobile. Jayden grinned like the Chester Cat. Sera could feel her temper rising. She never could take a joke, and the fact that Kya didn't say anything made it worse. She still held a piece of the bag in her hands. They still had flour in them. With anger flaring in her chest, she threw it at Lorelei. She had aimed for her shirt; at least that's what she planned on hitting. Unfortunately, her aim was bad and it collided with Lorelei's face. Sera gasped and silence crashed into the room.

Lorelei blinked the flour out of her eyes. Her hands smeared it off her cheeks. Her gray eyes pierced through the powder and into Sera's soul.

"_Dang_, Sera," Jayden chuckled.

Sera gulped for a moment as Lorelei stepped toward her. She cringed, putting her arms in front of her chest to protect herself. The blonde glared down at her. Sera's eyes widened as Lorelei lifted a fist. Then—_Fwoosh!_ Flour landed on her face. Sera exhaled, blowing a cloud of dust in to Lorelei's face. She used the back of her hands to clear her eyes. When she opened them, she found Lorelei smiling. She left a laugh rise from her heart to her mouth. She let it out.

"Hahahaha!"

Everyone else joined in for a moment, filling the kitchen with a chorus of laughter. Then the war continued. Kya dived into the flour on the floor and flushed it onto Jayden. Jayden yanked Sera down, who landed on her rear in the pile of white. Lorelei howled with amusement until all three girls pummeled her with sprinkles of dust. Then, round they went, chasing Lorelei to and fro the kitchen. But the blonde was quick, so Jayden devised a plan her head to nail her. With a touch of magic, the bag of flour whizzed through the air and zoomed on a collision course with the fairy of metal.

"Whoa!" Lorelei did a dolphin dive.

She dodged the bag, but just then, the door of the kitchen opened. _Fwoosh!_

When the dust cleared, there stood a very white (and very angry) Ms. Griselda. All the girls gasped.

The woman removed her clouded glasses and pulled a handkerchief out of her dress pocket. Quietly, to keep from losing her temper, Ms. Griselda cleaned the lenses then placed them back on her nose. She cleared her throat and said:

"This is _unacceptable_. The kitchen is for cooking, _not_ for playing."

Sera bit her lip. Lorelei looked down at her white boots. Kya dusted off her dress. Jayden stood up slowly.

"Clean up this _instant_. _Without_ using magic."

Her eyes glared at Jayden as the last words left her lips. The dark haired girl smiled nervously.

"When I come back, I want this room _spotless._ If it isn't, or if I sense a magic spell, even the _smallest_ spell, you can kiss your night at the annual gala goodbye. Get to work, you have thirty minutes."

With that, Ms. Griselda took her leave.

Everyone turned to Jayden. The smile fell off her face.

"_What?"_

"I don't like to point fingers, but all this was your fault." Lorelei said, brushing flour off her jacket.

"_My _fault? You joined in!"

"That's because Sera threw flour in my face."

"I thought you hurt Kya." Sera answered, looking down at her white converse.

Kya blew a raspberry. "Nah! I was just surprised!"

"Even so, I think Jayden should do all cleaning." Lorelei said with a serious face.

Jayden eyed her friend. She knew she was kidding, but she couldn't resist the temptation. She clenched some flour and threw it at Lorelei's eyes, blinding her.

"Ow! I was kidding! I was kidding!" The blonde screamed, rubbing her eyes.

Kya laughed loudly while Sera scolded Jayden.

"Jayden!"

"Relax, mother. I knew she was kidding."

"You did?!" Lorelei growled. Her cheeks turned red with anger. Seraphine thought she looked an awful lot like Tinkerbell.

"_Duh_, you're my best friend, of course I knew. Now let's get cleaning."

* * *

><p>Darkness. Like a blanket it shrouded Jasper's eyes. Coldness. It caressed his skin like the claws of death. He shivered. It was so dark, he couldn't even see his breath rise from his lips. His eyes looked around him, searching for light. The light. How he longed for the light. The warmth of the rays of the sun. The brilliant white of the cloud in that beautiful stretch of blue sky.<p>

Yet here he was instead, in a world of darkness, a world void of all things bright and beautiful. He shifted his arms. Although he could not see them, he did know that while they were outstretched above his head, they were chained. The clinking of metal was a constant reminder that he was not free.

Still, he was determined to slip through them. He leaned forward, like he always did and used his weight to try to pull his hands out of the clamps. He could feel his hair hanging over his face as he growled with effort. The clamps pressed deep into the skin of his hands. The pain did not stop him. He pushed forward more, taking a step into the darkness. With teeth clenched tightly, he pulled until he could almost feel his hands pop out of their sockets. Then, something wet oozed from his wrists. Gasping, he brought his foot back. He touched his wrists. They were wet. His heart raced as he brought one of them to his lips. The taste of blood came on his tongue. Panicking, he fell to his knees and tucked his wrists under his arms. The pain escalated as he pressed them against his body.

"Foolish boy." A deep, voice came through the darkness.

Jasper felt his heart and body quiver with fear. His nightmare was back, the tormentor of his mind, the master of his terror, the oppressor of his dreams.

"N-no!" Jasper's voice came as a whisper in the dark.

"You've done it again."

"No, no please!" Jasper felt tears leak out of his eyes. He felt them fall down into the void.

"Your disobedience will be punished."

"No, no!"

"You are mine, boy. _Mine._"

Then, in the darkness, Jasper's eyes watched as a swirl of purple essence formed in front of him. It slowly twisted into a long, angular face and a broad pair of shoulders. The rest of him remained floating like the tail of a comet. His eyes, sharp and red, pierced into Jasper's soul. Paralyzed by fear, he gazed up at his Nightmare King.

"Please, please don't…" he begged.

The essence grabbed his throat with a shadowy, long-fingered hand. Jasper struggled for air as the King's grip tightened. The apparition grinned. His teeth were and sharp at swords.

"_You are MINE!_"

Then, much to Jasper's horror, the King dived head first into his mouth. Coughing, choking on the scepter of darkness, Jasper fell on his hands and knees. He could feel it crawling through his body, blackening his heart, gripping his mind. Especially his mind. Jasper held his skull in both hands. He fought for control, but his effort remained powerless. He fell as the King swallowed him whole. Into the abyss, Jasper fell.

* * *

><p>"Ah!" Jasper screamed.<p>

He jerked to a sitting position, panting for air and for life. His eyes flashed around the dim room, searching for the King. Save the cot, an old cabinet, and a rusty lantern, the room was empty. His pulse and his breathing slowed. He looked down at his bare chest. A layer of sweat covered his flawed skin. Small scales scattered along his lower abdomen. However, it was his ribs that ached. The skin of his sides folded and paled into three bulging lines of flesh. These were half-developed gills that he had inherited from his triton father. The sweat had penetrated the tender skin, causing the gills to scream for water. Jasper groaned. Wrapping an arm around his middle, he slipped out of his cot. His lungs burned as he stood. His sides; his gills, ached as he took in a deep breath. He wheezed as the air passed through his throat. This sent him into a coughing fit.

Struggling to breathe, Jasper walked out of the room and under a low stone arch to the "living room". Here, there was an old crate that served as a table. A rickety old chair rested next to it, and another dimly lit lantern sat on the "table". Next to the lantern was a jar of something.

Jasper made his way to the table slowly. He continued to wheeze as his gills ached for water. He stumbled onto the table, grabbing the jar. The contents in it were an ugly yellow-green color. Only a thin layer stuck to the bottom. Jasper groaned.

_I don't have enough…_

Desperate, he opened the jar, his nose wrinkled up as a rotten fish smell assailed his nostrils. He stuck his hand inside and scrapped out whatever he could. This oil not only soothed gills, but sealed them as well, allowing him to breathe with his lungs when he was out of water. Unfortunately, he only had enough to coat the gills enough to pacify the pain. He panted for air as he pushed himself to his feet. His head felt like a balloon as he continued to wheeze.

_I have to get to Lake Roccaluce…_

He stumbled to the wall on his left. Leaning against it, he walked to a pile of rocks. Here, a small pile of clothes sat in disarray. He grabbed his sweater and pulled it on. Carefully, he zipped it shut. Then, he sat on the ground and pulled on his only pair of shoes. They used to be black, but now, they were so faded and dirty, they were now grayish brown.

Jasper hated feeling like a fish out of water, but he knew he couldn't let anyone know what he really was. At Red Fountain, only Saladin knew that Jasper was half triton. Had Jasper been more habitual with the oil then, the old man would've never found out. Unfortunately, when Jasper passed out during exercises, Saladin recognized the markings on Jasper's forehead. Everyone else thought they were tattoos, since the small dots lined his arms and chest as well. Only Pierce and Codatorta questioned that. Surprisingly, they didn't ask him about it. It wasn't until Saladin had Jasper's uniform removed that his true identity was revealed. The headmaster allowed Jasper to rest in a tub of water until he recovered. When he did, Jasper begged the old wizard to keep the truth a secret. He did. When his friends asked what happened, Saladin told them it was an asthma attack. From then on, Jasper was exempt from doing exercises outside of swordsmanship. Additionally, Jasper was given special permission to go to Lake Roccaluce once a week to use his gills.

Now that Jasper was living alone in the underground tunnels, he had to take care of himself. It had its advantages; he didn't have to worry about someone walking in on him when he changing, and he didn't have to explain what "that smell" was. But he wasn't problem free, either. He had to walk quite a bit to get out of the tunnels to the Lake. Another problem, one of the biggest ones, was the people who came to the lake to swim. Jasper had to not only be quick, but silent as well. That was hard when he was completely surrounded by water.

Grabbing the lantern near the cave entrance, Jasper slipped through the long, thin crack that gave him access to the tunnel system. He struggled through it, trying not to bump his sides into the cragged walls, but it never ceased to put a strain on him. He entered the tunnel, wheezing for air. The cold damp air of the tunnel system chilled his body. He shivered, rubbing his opposite arm with his left hand (the right carried the lantern). Having lived on Andros, a warm, ocean planet, Jasper was accustomed to warm climates. He still hadn't adjusted to the cold of caves. The dampness clung to him, soaking through his sweater, offered temporary relief.

He walked through the dark tunnels, holding the lantern up to see before him. He had already memorized his way to the lake, but it was still a long way off. His feet trudged on stone floor as quickly as they could.

_Can't go too fast…or I'll really be in trouble then._

The sound of dripping water echoed across the hollow walls. His footsteps clip clopped off the stone, creating a steady song as he made his way passed corners and turns. Jasper swallowed the air, trying to replenish the lack of oxygen in his head. He wheezed instead. Everything stopped, his feet and his movement, as he bent forward into a cough attack. His gills ached like a sore wound as the coughs shook his lean frame. After a few seconds, he managed to recover. Rasping, he straightened and continued, but the lack of water was taking a toll on him. His body, not only his lungs, was yearning for the oxygen he couldn't breathe in. He was growing weak, the aching cramped his sides. Gasping for air, Jasper leaned against a wall.

_Keep…going…_ He told himself.

He pushed himself off the wall and stumbled forward. His arm could no longer hold up the lantern. His arm fell to his side, wearily. It hit his gills.

"Ah!"

The sudden pain brought him to his knees. _Clatter!_ The lantern went out. Rasping behind clenched teeth, he bent over the floor, searching for his only source of light. He coughed violently, trying to breathe. His lungs burned, his gills ached. He could feel his throat closing as he choked for air. His head swam on clouds of helplessness. The world spun around him as his body met with the cold stone floor.

_Can't…breathe…_

* * *

><p>Seraphine wiped the sweat off her forehead. For her, it was fine to do the cleaning without magic, but Jayden and Lorelei were having problems. Especially Lorelei. The girl didn't know what a broom was or how to use it. She stood there, scrubbing the floor as if she was using a mop. Sera smiled lightly.<p>

_She's not that far off but she's still not right._

Unlike everyone else, Kya positively enjoyed cleaning.

_With an italicized 'positively'._ Sera thought as she went back to wiping down the counter.

She was really surprised by Griselda's "punishment". She thought the woman would ground them for life or something.

_Or make us clean the whole school._

Right when she thought of this, the tall, thin woman entered the room. Sera's heart skipped a beat as she scrambled to finish the counter. Jayden stumbled slightly as she swept. Quickly regaining her balance, she moved the broom across the floor. Kya went on brushed the wasted flour onto her dustpan, completely unaffected by the Ms. Griselda's presence. Lorelei didn't even flinch. She went on "mopping" the floor.

"Your work is sufficient, young ladies." Griselda said. "However, this is _not _the end of your punishment.

_Oh no, here it comes…_Sera bit her lip.

"Since you are so eager to cook, you will be in charge of cooking dinner for the entire school this evening."

"What?!" Jayden exploded.

A small, aloof smile spread across Ms. Griselda's face.

"That's right. And Maestro Sfoglia will supervise to make sure you don't get out of hand."

_Who?_ Sera thought just as a big-bellied, broad shouldered man came into the kitchen. He wore a chef's hat and outfit, complete with a curly, black mustache. His eyebrows were thick and furrowed, and his thick chin jutted out with authority. Sera wasn't sure if she should laugh or cringe. This man looked like the stereotypical chef, but if that was true, then she had better be afraid.

His stern, black eyes glanced at all the girls. Then, the chef crossed his front of his chest.

"Good luck, ladies." With a smile and a wave, Ms. Griselda slipped out of the kitchen.

_Great…I have to make dinner and I can't cook._ Seraphine thought.

"You!" The man suddenly boomed.

Seraphine nearly leapt out of her skin. Cringing, she turned to the man. A huge sausage of a finger was pointed directly at her nose. Surprised, she jumped back and looked up.

"You the Earthling, no?"

"Um…yes."

"What?!" his voice rattled in her head. "Speak up! I can notta hear you!"

"Yes." Seraphine said an octave louder.

A smile broke onto his face. Sera bit her lip. From some reason, this man did not look normal wearing a grin.

"Welcome to Magix!" He thundered.

Sera squinted and rubbed her ears. "Um…thank you, Maestro…"

_Oh no, I forgot his name._

Then, his smile shattered into oblivion. "Now get to work!" His voice filled the kitchen. Its lightning zapped all the girls back to work. This time, they hurriedly swept and wiped the kitchen clean. In a matter of minutes they were done and after putting the cleaning supplies away, they stood before Maestro Sfoglia.

"Very good." He said, walking in front of them like a drill sergeant. "Everyone will have a job. Jayden, you fry a the fish. Lorelei will cut the vegetables. Kya, you boil the vegetables. And Earthling…"

"Her name is _Seraphine._" Jayden said, mimicking Sera's voice.

Sera and the maestro glared at Jayden. All the girl did was smile mischievously.

"A Sarah will make the rice."

_Oh, that'll be easy_.

There was an awkward silence as Maestro Sfoglia walked to the door. The great man looked over his shoulder briefly then spun around.

"Whatta waitin' for?!" He roared like a lion.

Sera knew for a fact that every single one of them jumped. From the corner of her eye, she saw all of her roommates leapt backward before they scrambled around the kitchen like eggs in a pan.

_And the maestro will cook_ us_ if we don't do well!_

The cooking of dinner turned into a marathon. All the girls ran around gathering the ingredients they needed. They fumbled over each other, dropping jars and packages and the like all over the floor. The maestro shook as his head as he watched them rush to different ends of the kitchen. Finally, they all started working. Jayden cleaned the fish (which took forever). Lorelei chopped the vegetables (that did a number on her wrist). Kya prepped the water (she stood over it, waiting for the bubbles to appear). And Seraphine…well, she stood there, reading the bag of rice, unsure of what to do.

Maestro Sfoglia noticed this at once and immediately approached her.

"What's tha matta, Earthling?! You neva cooked before?"

Seraphine flinched and rubbed her left ear (that was the one he had yelled into).

"Um…no, sir. I don't normally cook at home."

"What are ya, a princess?!"

"N-no. My mom just does all the cooking."

"Spoiled brat!"

Sera's hair whipped back as his bellow blew in her face.

"Move, I show you what to do."

She quickly stepped back; staying clear of his voluminous stomach. She imagined herself getting squeezed between it and the counter.

_That would be unpleasant._

He studied everything she had gathered; a pot of water and a bag of rice.

"This rice no feed everybody. Go get another one."

Seraphine jogged to the storage cabinet and pulled out another 10 pound bag of rice. This alone was enough to strain her muscles. Exhaling sharply, she rolled her eyes.

_I am so out of shape._

"Hurrya up!"

Groaning, she knelt down and scooped the sack into her arms. Her legs quivered with effort as she wobbled back to the counter. She throw it down, panting. The maestro put a finger in the water she had put in the pot.

"This water's too cold! It a take foreva tryin' to boil the rice! Go fix it!" He shoved the pot in her arms. The water sloshed onto her shirt, darkening the red fabric.

Seraphine gasped, gripping the pot to keep the water from spilling to the floor. Upset, she glared at the man. He completely ignored her. With a furrowed brow, Sera walked to the sink and dumped out the pot.

_Great, now I really need a shower! First the flour, now I'm soaked!_

"Hurrya up!" The maestro called to her.

Frustration festered in Sera's chest.

_I'm coming, I'm coming! Keep your mustache on!_


	10. Chapter 9: Tunnel Vision

**Chapter 9: Tunnel Vision**

* * *

><p>"Ha! The look on Cadette's face was classic!" Gail guffawed as she and her roommates entered their dorm room.<p>

Ignatia could feel the fire burn though her veins. "Oh! Shut up with that already!"

Raven flipped her hair as she walked to the black spiral staircase that swirled up to a balcony that housed books. A sleek, black cat ran down it greet her. She caught him as he leapt into her arms. She smiled as she stroked the tuff on his head.

"Hi, Dusk. Gail, calm down." The azure-haired girl said as she made her way to her books.

"I am calm." Gail said with a grin.

Ignatia took in a deep breath, letting it smolder her flames. When she looked around, she found that her roommates were gone. She rolled her eyes.

"Seriously? We're supposed to go shopping today!" she whined. Her voice filled the room, calling back the other witches.

Raven leaned against the railing of the balcony. She carried a book in her arms while Dusk rested on her shoulders. Gail trudged out of her room with a pot of wolfs bane.

"Why?" Gail asked.

"_Because_ I need a new dress for the Annual Gala, duh!"

"You have plenty of dresses." Raven said.

"I can't wear one I've already worn!"

"But why buy a new dress if you're never gonna wear it again?" Gail set the pot on the floor.

Ignatia growled, sparking the embers of her fire. "That's beside the point! I need a new dress, so let's go!"

"Sorry, I'm busy studying." Raven walked away from the railing.

"Studying for what?! School hasn't even started yet!" Ignatia screamed after her. She quickly turned to Gail. The little witch was holding her plant protectively.

"What about you?" Ignatia growled. "Too busy with your _plants?_"

Gail nodded vigorously and hastily slipped back into her room.

Ignatia could feel the flames rise from the back of her throat. She threw back her head and screamed. A huge burst of flames shot into the air for a moment, releasing her anger. Panting, she lowered her head.

"Unbelievable! We never do what _I_ want to do!"

She stomped over to the mirror that sat near the staircase against the far wall. Grumbling to herself, she glared into her reflection. A dot of something was staring back from her cheek. Growling, she leaned toward the glass. Scrapping a finger against her cheek, she removed the dot. At least she thought she did. Frustrated to find that it was still there, she put a hand to the top of the mirror to hold herself up. Then, she examined her face once more. It took her moment to realize that the speck was not on her face at all; it was on the glass. Exhaling sharply, she put her a hand on the glass to wipe it off when—_Ssshh!_

"Whoa!" she jumped back.

The glass slid open, revealing a cavern behind it.

"What happened? Did you burn your hair?" Raven said from the balcony.

"Ha! Nah, she would be screaming." Gail laughed from her room.

Ignatia rolled her eyes, ignoring her the flames that festered in her chest.

"You idiots may wanna come and see this."

The sound of heels echoed through the room as Raven came down the stairs. Gail peeked out from behind the door of her room.

"What did you do?" Raven asked.

"Whoa! Cool!" Gail rushed over.

"I just pressed on the glass."

All three girls stared into the tunnel, their eyes studying the walls until they faded into the darkness.

"Didn't they say we got the Trix's old room?" Gail said.

"I guess the rumors were true. I wonder where it leads." Raven replied. She jogged up the stairs.

"You can't be serious." Ignatia exclaimed.

Raven returned with a flashlight. She switched it on.

"You don't have to come."

The azure haired witch stepped into the opening. Gail followed.

"It's so dark and smelly." Ignatia grimaced as she pinched her nostrils between her thumb and index finger.

"Then you can stay and explain to whoever comes to our room why we're missing." Raven retorted.

"Bye!" Gail said with a wave.

"Mrow!" Dusk came tearing down the stairs.

"Ah!" Ignatia jumped out of his way as he entered the tunnel after his mistress.

_Ugh, stupid cat!_ Ignatia fumed. She watched her roommates vanish in the darkness.

_I don't need them. I'm perfectly fine by myself._

She crossed her arms in front of her chest and scowled. The room was completely silent. She couldn't take the absence of noise; at least when they _were_ there, they'd make _some _noise.

_Pages turn, water pours, Gail hums, Dusk meows…._

"Ugh! Fine!" Ignatia entered the smelly, damp darkness.

The mirror slid shut behind her.

Snapping her fingers, Ignatia produced a little flame in her palm. She walked through the tunnel, her pupils widened to adjust to the lack of light. Her eyes studied the black in front of her. A chill ran down her spine. She shuddered.

_I hate places like this. Cold, dark and wet._

When she rounded a corner, she could see Raven and Gail ahead of her; the beam of the flashlight illuminated the walls of the cave. She picked up speed, or as much as her heels would allow, and caught up with them.

"So, you didn't want to tell people why we were gone?" Raven said.

"_No._" Ignatia glowered. "I couldn't stand the silence."

"Translation: she missed us." Gail giggled.

The dark red-haired witch threw her flame at Gail. "Shut up!"

"Yikes!" Gail dodged the red tongue. She flicked a hand after it, whipping up a small tailwind to put it out.

"Will you two cut it out? We don't want whatever's living in here to hear us." Raven scolded.

Ignatia pursed her lips tightly and Gail bit her tongue. The three witches wandered down the tunnel further. Their footsteps echoed off the walls. The sound of water resonated from an unseen source. Cold damp air crawled over their skin and clothes.

"Burr!" Gail shivered in her dark green tank top. "I should've brought a sweater."

"I should've brought a _raincoat_." Ignatia murmured, wiping a drop of water off her bare shoulders. Her strapless dress and corset offered very little protection for her thin frame.

"I think these are the tunnels that connect the three schools." Raven said, pointing her flashlight at the ceiling of the cave. It looked like the high vaulted ceiling of a castle.

"I dunno." Gail said. The darkness hid her grin. She loved teasing her roommates; even if it got them mad.

"Look at the smoothness of the ceiling and walls. This wasn't made naturally." Raven added.

"Ugh, I don't care _how_ it was made. I just want to get to where it goes so we can be _outta_ here." Ignatia whined.

Dusk took small, slow steps into the darkness. He wandered ahead of them, sniffing the air. His ears twitched, studying every sound that passed him. His little paws padded daintily on the stony floor while his tail swayed with excitement. There were so many smells in that tunnel, it tempted his curiosity.

"These tunnels were used in case of emergencies." Raven continued. "They stopped using them when creatures from deep under the ground started inhabiting them."

Ignatia gulped and nervously ignited another flame. She turned around and moved the light around to see what was behind them. She found the tunnel bare. Sighing with relief she went back to following her fellow witches. Right about then Dusk let out a yelp.

"What's—Oh yuck…" Raven exclaimed.

"Whoa!" Gail cried out, flailing her arms about to maintain her balance.

"What? What—" _Squish!_ Ignatia could feel something sticky under her feet.

She was horrorstricken. "_Eew! What is that?!"_

"Mud." Raven answered, pointing the flashlight to the ground.

Sure enough, mud was smeared all over the floor. It wasn't a thick layer, but it was enough to get their feet muddy.

"_Oooh! That is it! I am so out of here!"_

Ignatia turned around to leave. Her eyes strained to see where to go. Then a realization suddenly stuck her. Her anger flared, but it was Gail who spoke for her.

"Um, Raven, how are we supposed to find our way back?"

"Easy, the shadows will guide us back."

Ignatia exhaled sharply. She was stuck with them; only Raven could lead them back. Besides, she couldn't leave and risk getting lost. Forcing down her anger, she turned back around to face them.

"Let's _just go._" She growled.

"Watch your step." Raven said.

Dusk made cautious steps forward. Raven followed the paw prints he left in the mud. This made it easier for her to keep her balance. The other girls followed, their footsteps squelching in a most uncomfortable fashion. Gail struggled to stay upright while Ignatia made disgusted faces upon every step. The path went on this way for several feet before it cleared. Dusk meowed and wiped his paws clean on the stone floor. The witches stomped out the muck that clung to their heels.

"That was _disgusting_." Ignatia scowled.

"I'm sure that was the last of it." Raven said, lifting the flashlight.

"Yeah, right…" Gail murmured.

The beam of light illuminated a fork in the tunnel ahead. The passage broke into three different caves.

"Oh great." Ignatia moaned.

"Now what?" Gail asked just as Dusk lifted his black nose into the air.

A familiar smell entered his nostrils, teasing his curiosity. And just like a cat, he took off down the middle cave.

"Reeeow!"

"Dusk! Wait! Come back!" Raven ran after him.

"Hey!" Gail yelled, rushing after Raven.

Ignatia screamed. "Oh! I _hate_ that cat!"

The witches ran after the black feline; their heels clicked and echoed off the walls. They struggled to keep up with him. Dusk did not wait; he kept going. The smell he picked up was faintly fishy, an aroma he could not resist. He bounded through the darkness, following his nose. He made a left turn, completely indifferent to losing his mistress. The scent was stronger now, but there was a hint of something else with it. He continued down a few feet before he came across a dark lump on the ground. With his tail swaying in the air, he carefully approached it. He poked his nose at it, sniffing it. This was the source of the fish smell, but the other smell was that of a human. He hissed and whipped back around. He tore down the tunnel and reached his mistress, who was standing at the turn he had just made. Quickly, he leapt into her arms with his back arched and his fur spiked.

"Dusk, what's wrong?" Raven asked him, juggling the flashlight.

She finally got a grip on it and pointed it down the tunnel he came from. The walls were slightly jagged, but the ceiling was still high above their heads.

"There's nothing there, you stupid cat." Ignatia scolded Dusk.

Dusk paid no mind, he went on hissing. Raven lowered the light to the tunnel floor. All three girls gasped. Something that looked like a body laid stretched out on the dirty stone ground.

"Oh, shoot." Gail said.

"That's just gross." Ignatia grimaced.

Raven took a step toward it, Ignatia caught her wrist.

"Ignatia, let go."

"Are you _crazy?_ That thing is _dead!_"

"We don't know that. Now let me go."

Growling, Ignatia let go of her wrist. Raven walked to the lump.

"Fine, but if it comes to life, I'll make sure it eats you first."

Raven ignored her and knelt over it. Her pants were stained by the dirt but she didn't care. Dusk couldn't handle being near the thing. He crawled up her shoulders and jumped off. The cat zipped back to Gail and Ignatia and hid behind them, hissing profusely. The two girls watched as Raven investigated the lump. She ran the flashlight over it. There was a head of black hair at one end and crumbled legs on the other. The frame was lean but was too broad to be a female's; it was covered by a sweater and black pants. Raven turned back to the head. Carefully, she rearranged the hair until she could see a face. Just as she had predicted, the visage of a young man appeared. His skin was pale and eyes closed. He had a sharp chin but his nose was smooth. Then, Raven noticed something. A dark cerulean dot was on his forehead, just between the eyebrows. Curious, she pulled back the hair, revealing a line of dots that worked its way up from the eyebrows to where his scalp started. Surprised, she gasped.

"What?!" Gail asked.

"Is it alive?" Ignatia said, hiding behind Gail. The short witch offered little protection for her tall figure.

"He." Raven said.

"Uh…what?" Gail raised an eyebrow.

"It's a he."

"You've got to be joking." Ignatia walked over. Gail followed with Dusk right behind her.

The two girls joined Raven and stood over the boy.

"Whoa, no kidding." Gail said.

"Where did he come from?" Ignatia asked, eyeing the features of his face.

"What are those dots on his head?" Gail sked, pointing at the markings.

"I don't know how he got here, but I think those markings are a clue to where he's from."

Suddenly, the young man groaned. All three girls leapt back.

"_Oh my gosh!_ _He's_ _alive!_" Ignatia screamed. She grabbed Gail by the back of her shoulders and used her as a human shield.

"What now?!" Gail yelled, trying to pry off the other witch's hands.

"Calm down, that's what." Raven said.

The azure-haired witch recollected herself and looked down at the young man again. He most certainly was alive, but what _were_ they going to do?

_I can't just leave him here._ Her fairy side said.

_Who cares? He'll wake up soon and take care of himself._ Her witch side retorted.

Raven sighed. She was at war with herself, again. She never wanted to be a witch; she was supposed to be a fairy. She had attended Alfea for the first half of summer training. She absorbed everything she could; her mind was like a sponge when it came to knowledge. She quickly learned the lessons and took them to heart. What she didn't take to heart, however, was the warning against using black magic. Hungry for more, she began to do research on darker, more powerful spells. The knowledge was so interesting to her, she tried a spell on one occasion. That was enough to get her expelled. Luckily, Ms. Griffin let her transfer to Cloud Tower, but she still hadn't told her parents.

Raven had to make up her mind. Look out for herself, like a witch, or help him, like a fairy. Her hands balled into tight fists. Anger rose within her chest like a black shadow. Was the decision really that hard to make?

_Oh! Come on, Raven! You're seriously thinking about this?!_

She opened her eyes. "Help me get him up."

"_What?!_" Ignatia exploded. "_Why?!_"

"Because, he needs help."

Ignatia gripped Gail's shoulders. "Who cares?! We aren't even supposed to be down here! Let's just go!"

"Ow! Let go, Ignatia!" Gail squirmed.

"_I_ care." Raven retorted quickly.

Ignatia pointed a finger at the azure-haired girl. "You're just saying that because he's cute!"

"Believe me, if that was the reason, you would have jumped to help me."

Raven leaned down and pulled one of his arms around he shoulders. She lined her knees parallel to his frame and started to stand.

"_No!_ He's filthy! And he smells like _rotten fish_!"

Gail finally broke free of her hold. She wiggled her shoulders out from under her hands and bent down to help Raven. She grabbed his other arm and the two girls yanked him to his feet.

"Wow, he's heavy!" Gail exclaimed.

"And he isn't even that broad." Raven said.

"Oh, my gosh. Use a levitation spell, you idiots!" Ignatia scolded.

"Great idea. Do you know one?" Gail asked.

"No, but I'm sure Raven does."

"I haven't mastered that one yet. Besides, he's too heavy; I'll spend my energy. I need it to find our way back."

"Ugh…" Ignatia grumbled, turning away. She nearly stepped on Dusk, who yowled at her.

"Ah! _Oh!_ You _stupid cat!_" Ignatia screamed.

"If you aren't going to help us carry him, then make yourself useful and take the flashlight." Raven said, holding out the metal light source.

Ignatia exhaled sharply and snatched it from her hands.

"Fine. But he is _not_ going on my bed."

"Fine by me." Raven said as they slowly followed Ignatia back down the way they came.

"And that's coming from the one who said he was cute." Gail laughed.

"_Shut up._" Ignatia said quickly.

Raven and Gail smiled in the dark as they carried the young man down the tunnel.

* * *

><p>Bran leaned over the vermillion wall that surrounded Red Fountain's top floor. It was the largest floor of the whole school, and the only one that was open to the sky. He stared down at the land below. The trees were so small and dark, they looked like a mass of ants.<p>

"What'd you think?" Wayne's voice came from behind him.

"It's amazing." Bran said.

A cool zephyr whipped up his bangs and ran through his hair. He closed his eyes and took in a deep breath.

_So amazing…_

"Are you finished, Earthling?" Matthew's voice entered his ears.

Bran exhaled sharply.

_And then there's him._

He opened his eyes and turned around. The orange haired teen was glaring at him. Pierce and Wayne were on either side of him. Their t-shirts and pants swayed slightly under the breeze. Their hair waved gently in the wind.

"Maybe." Bran said.

Matthew lifted his chin. "Let's go."

"Where?"

"No where. We're going to run around the whole perimeter of the school." Matthew faced the right wall.

"_We?_ Now that's a joke."

Pierce and Wayne lined up with the prince, their backs to Bran.

"If I come around this way and you're still there, I'll make sure you're out of this squad and this school." The prince said.

He took off straight ahead, parallel to the wall. Pierce was right behind him. Wayne looked back at Bran. From the look on his face, Bran could tell that he was worried. But the brown-haired young man said nothing and, after turning around, jogged away.

Bran felt his anger fester in his chest. It wasn't fair that someone as cruel as Matthew was squad leader.

_Prince or no prince, with that attitude, he doesn't deserve to be the leader._

Bran, fueled by his hot temper, took off after them.

_I'll show him he can't mess with me._

His legs pumped faster, picking up speed as he raced over the grass. His bangs swept back away from his face as he tore through the air in front of him. He could feel the flames of his anger extinguish as he flew across the open space. On the wings of the wind, Bran felt free, like an eagle in the great blue sky. His blood pumped through his veins, making him go faster. The beat of his heart echoed in his ears, the wind howled past his face. A small smile spread across his face as he passed Matthew and Pierce.

"Whoa! He's fast!" Pierce exclaimed.

Matthew narrowed his eyes, watching the young man race ahead of them toward the next quarter of the circular field.

_You wanna play, huh? It is on!_

Matthew picked up speed, pumping his arms and legs. He left Pierce in the dust; the dark young man stopped, huffing and puffing.

"Oh no…" Pierce said.

Wayne stumbled over to him, wheezing and coughing. He bent over on his hands and knees, struggling to catch his breath. Gasping, he looked up at Matthew who raced after Bran.

"Wh…what…?" Wayne started.

Pierce already knew what he was going to say before he finished. "It's a race now."

"Oh…no…" Wayne wheezed, falling forward.

Luckily, Pierce reached out and grabbed the young man by the collar. He held him up and gently placed him down on the grass before running after the two young men who were already halfway around the perimeter.

Bran was in the lead, soaring as if he had wings. Matthew, not too far behind him, gradually picked up speed. Like horses, the rivals raced on, determined to out run the other. Bran could feel his muscles starting to ache. Matthew felt his lungs burning with every breath. Neither of them slowed; they pushed on, pumping their arms and legs to gather speed. Now, they were neck to neck, their hair whipping behind their heads as they tore down the third quarter. From the corner of his eye, Matthew could see Bran keeping up with him. The prince let go a quick burst, giving him the lead. Bran noticed this at once and strove forward, aiming for the win.

No words passed between them as they closed in on the last quarter. Matthew's chest heaved. Bran's legs cramped. Their bodies were growing weary, but their minds were set. Step after step, they came closer to the end. Head to head, they flew across the grass. Then, together, they stepped passed the last quarter. Neither one was satisfied with the results. They kept going. They zoomed past Wayne who sat under a tree. The young man got up and called after them, they kept going. Relentless, the teens bolted alongside one another, refusing to let up. The wind blew in their faces, sweat poured off their backs. They did not stray from their race. Only a crash could stop them, and that is exactly what happened.

Pierce, at top speed, tackled Matthew. The prince's frame collided with Bran's side. All three of them tumbled to the ground like footballs.

Bran coughed as he rose to his hands and knees. His side ached as he took in a deep breath. To his left, he could hear the prince yell:

"What did you do that for?!"

"Once around was enough." Pierce said calmly.

"He needed to be taught a lesson!"

Bran looked over at them. Matthew rolled to his feet, yelling his head off. Pierce dusted himself as he stood.

"You ruin everything!" the prince roared.

"Matt, calm down. You and I both know the real reason why you're mad. You hate losing."

Gasping for air, Bran let the new fact process in his mind.

_He hates to lose…just like me…_

With this, Bran stood up slowly. He turned to the prince, who was still scolding Pierce.

"Hey," Bran said.

Pierce and Matthew turned to him. Bran held a hand out to the prince.

"Good race." He said.

The orange-haired teen glared at his hand, then at his face. He didn't raise his arm to shake Bran's hand. He didn't laugh or smile. Instead, Matthew turned and walked away, taking the air of rage with him. Bran let his arm fall to his side.

_Still nothing._

"Sorry about the tackle." Pierce said.

Bran grinned. "It's alright, man. Sorry you had to see me like that."

"Naw, it's cool. I've seen worse."

"Hey, what happened?" Wayne came jogging over to them.

Bran roughly put an arm around the shorter boy's shoulders. "Aw nothing. We just had a friendly race."

Wayne cried out as Bran dug his knuckles into his scalp. "Ow! Friendly? That did _not_ look friendly!" He slipped out from under Bran's hold. His hair skewed in different directions above his head.

"You guys looked like a pair of dragons!" He said, fixing his hair.

Pierce and Bran let out guffaws. Wayne's face turned red with anger.

"No really! That was anything _but_ friendly!"

Pierce grabbed Wayne by the shoulders with one arm and dragged him away, laughing. "Easy, there, Specialist. Don't blow up now."

Bran lifted Wayne's legs and the two boys carried their friend back toward the elevator. Their laughs, and Wayne's yells faded away.

"Hey! Put me down! This isn't funny! Hey!"


End file.
